The Baku Grand Prix, the 17th round of the 2025 Formula 1 season, is shaping up to be a crucial weekend for the historic Scuderia Ferrari. According to Vasseur, the team’s main goal is a clean, complication-free weekend that allows them to continue improving the car setup. The current standings reflect the SF-25’s good adaptation to this street circuit, but there is much to analyze beneath the surface to understand the team’s prospects for tomorrow’s race.
Ferrari needs to improve through-corner performance
McLaren had a mixed day, facing several technical issues that hindered a proper performance assessment. Because of this, Ferrari currently lacks a direct benchmark with a proper McLaren qualifying simulation. While Ferrari shows promise, it’s not all perfect just yet. In terms of setup, the SF-25 arrived in Baku with a solid compromise that balances speed and grip.
The circuit demands strong traction, and as frequently noted, the Italian car benefits from a high level of mechanical grip. However, this potential is not always fully exploited, as the operational window is relatively narrow. The team is aware of their capacity to generate good traction, which is why they have focused on optimizing corner entry phases.
This is currently Ferrari’s weakest point when compared with the McLaren MCL39’s performance in the same area. Overall, the SF-25 has displayed a tendency toward oversteer, a characteristic consistently observed during Friday practice sessions. On corner exit, the Ferrari delivers power to the track efficiently, but minor limitations remain that need attention.
From a broader perspective, Ferrari struggles in mid-corner sections relative to the papaya-colored cars. In multiple corners, McLaren demonstrated superior grip, allowing Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris to carry more speed through the apex. This extra traction is a significant advantage, and Ferrari still has work to do to close this gap.
Setup choices and differences between drivers
The team from Maranello strategically opted for a generally lower-downforce setup to optimize top speeds, which will be critical for race management. Despite this, differences were observed between the two Ferrari drivers. Both ran the same rear wing specification (medium downforce, Spa spec), but each had a different trim on the rear wing flap.
As the comparison shows, Charles Leclerc used a flap with a larger cut, further reducing the chord of the profile. The goal was clearly to gain a few kilometers per hour in top speed while minimizing losses in balance during cornering. In practice, this adjustment created a 3 km/h difference in top speed along the main straight.
Pirelli C5 tire performance still a question
At Baku, tire management remains a key challenge, particularly activating the front axle effectively. Between FP1 and FP2, Ferrari engineers led by Loic Serra focused on improving performance in this area, which allowed the team to optimize the first sector where grip had been lacking earlier. As a result, traction through the opening corners improved significantly.
However, the previous observation remains: Ferrari still lags behind the strong McLaren, which dominated in T1 and clearly managed tire temperatures well during a flying lap. Additionally, a recurring question arises: is the C5 compound faster than the C6? This year alone has already seen similar situations where tire choice significantly influenced performance.
During the second free practice session in Baku, Lewis Hamilton effectively exploited the Pirelli yellow-marked C5 tires on a flying lap. This could be related to temperature conditions or handling characteristics, as switching compounds can change overall grip balance. This variable will be an important factor to monitor in tomorrow’s race.
And you? What do you think about the Maranello team’s chances for the rest of the Baku weekend? Let us know with a comment at the end of the article or on our social media channels: Facebook Group / Facebook Page / Instagram / X (former Twitter)
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