Ferrari SF-25 suspension dilemma: could the Maranello team revert to the old setup?. Ferrari’s SF-25 rear suspension upgrade has shown limited improvements.

Is Ferrari ready to revert to the ‘old’ suspension on the SF-25?

Ferrari has not seen significant improvements with the evolved rear suspension on the SF-25. Could Maranello take a step back and return to the original solution?

The Scuderia decided to halt all developments to focus solely on an evolution of the rear suspension. However, it seems Ferrari might consider stepping back due to the limited gains from the Spa upgrade. But is that really the case?

Technical Director Loic Serra studied and developed an evolved rear suspension, which required testing at Mugello. The goal was to reduce excessive skidpad wear and instability under acceleration and braking. There is one concerning data point: while the SF-25 now shows fewer unstable movements over a qualifying lap, there have not been major improvements. The gap to the top positions before the upgraded suspension was an average of 0.376 seconds. The new solution only reduced lap time by 0.040 seconds. Could Ferrari really revert to the ‘old’ suspension?

Old and new solutions depending on the track

Since its debut in Belgium, the SF-25 has not shown major performance spikes with the evolved rear suspension. Only in Hungary did Charles Leclerc achieve an unexpected pole position. The car’s “potential” has not been unlocked. It was almost impossible for the mechanical upgrade to completely transform the car’s performance. According to the Italian website AutoRacer.it, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are more comfortable with the driving, particularly the seven-time world champion. The Monegasque, on the other hand, has been able to use less extreme setups. For these reasons, it is unlikely Ferrari will revert to the old specification, especially since the drivers appreciated the new solution. Unfortunately, gaining lap-time improvements would require aerodynamic upgrades, which are not expected.

SF-25 development was effectively concluded by June, with a floor designed for the Baku race but later rejected by Loic Serra. The full focus is now on 2026, though some believe that depending on track characteristics, Ferrari could switch between the two suspensions. The evolved version seems to offer more performance in high-speed corners, while the ‘old’ suspension is less stiff and provides better traction in slow corners. While such an approach would be interesting to see, it is not a practical solution for Maranello.