Next week’s Austrian Grand Prix could be decisive in the world championship outlook, especially for Ferrari which needs to provide answers on a track similar to the Canadian circuit. Long straights, curbs, traction, and some fast sections characterize the Austrian layout. However, to get concrete answers, the SF-25 requires a solid and versatile rear end, something it currently lacks. In our analysis of this problematic Ferrari, we examine what will change in the rear suspension between new aerodynamic updates and how it will unlock the long-awaited potential.
In recent weeks, rumors have spread about the underlying problems of the SF-25, the car competing in this year’s Formula 1 championship. While some realized this late, others suspected the issue as early as the Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne. The car showed significant differences between Friday and Saturday sessions, when drivability worsened noticeably. Both telemetry data and visual observations showed the SF-25 single-seater exhibiting unexplained understeer.
An abnormal and strangely fluctuating behavior that was already seen during the pre-season testing session at the Bahrain International Circuit. In fact, in the very first days of testing, the SF-25 alternated between understeer and oversteer in various runs. This almost suggests Ferrari was already aware of the rear suspension’s limits and possibly some elements that influenced the design of the 677.
Ferrari, few words about the suspension
With the problem becoming public in recent weeks, the atmosphere inside the Ferrari Racing Department has drastically changed. Sources close to the Maranello team reported that team principal Frederic Vasseur was extremely furious about the presence of a mole who leaked the main weaknesses of the SF-25. Since then, the environment within Maranello has experienced a slow escalation, between those who want to remove him and those who want to keep him close. Among the latter are the two drivers, who have blind faith in the French team principal’s work. On the other hand, journalists close to Ferrari’s press office have directly attacked the management of the Maranello team.
However, there is someone at the factory working day and night to fix the rear suspension and correct the winter’s mistakes. Loic Serra and the technical department have been working since the Melbourne weekend, with sources close to F1inGenerale reporting work even before that, on the new setup and internal components. The operation is proceeding at a fast pace with constant interaction between the aerodynamic and chassis departments. This has obviously slowed development but was necessary to avoid new issues on track.
Regarding the debut, Ferrari appears undecided, although the arrival of a new floor specification for the Austrian Grand Prix is confirmed. This sounds slightly odd, since the new floor is designed to work best with the updated rear suspension. According to what has been reported by the Italian media, the chassis department is keeping a very low profile and no one wants to commit to a timeline for its arrival.
Controversial suspension, updates to unlock the famous potential
As highlighted in several analyses published on our site, the SF-25 single-seater has suffered since the Saturday of the opening Grand Prix from obvious understeer at low speeds. This behavior, extremely damaging, is caused directly by the rear end. In fact, considering some vehicle dynamics fundamentals, rear behavior significantly influences the front end as well.
Ferrari, which has been forced to take countermeasures in order to avoid excessive wear of the skid block, opted for a compromise setup. This choice prioritized stiffness at the expense of the rear suspension’s elasticity and softness. An almost locked setup, which particularly compromised low-speed corners, where a “softer” car is needed for both turn-in and traction.
The new specification, as mentioned earlier, expected to arrive at the Silverstone circuit but possibly at Austria as well, will introduce numerous changes. The first and most notable, having been passed multiple times between the aero and chassis departments, could be a new arrangement of the suspension arms. The main goal of the chassis team is to bring the center of gravity closer to the roll center, as McLaren Chief Designer Rob Marshall did with the impressive MCL39 single-seater. This objective can be achieved by modifying primarily the position and angle of the suspension arms.
Other changes, equally important and which will provide the biggest advantages, are internal and therefore not visible. The new suspension structure will feature new springs and dampers. Specifically, the work will focus on the Heave Damper and Heave Spring, respectively the damper and spring controlling vertical pitch motion. By working on a more progressive setup, the Ferrari engineers and technicians should finally be able to unlock the famous potential touted by team principal Frederic Vasseur since the start of the 2025 Formula 1 championship.
