Ferrari updates SF-25 floor with focus on squat control and outwash efficiency

Ferrari is pushing forward. At the Austrian Grand Prix, the Maranello team is debuting its third floor specification of the 2025 Formula 1 season, following the initial update introduced at the Bahrain Grand Prix. On that occasion, the improvements were limited, but for the Spielberg weekend, the team hopes for a more tangible impact while awaiting the introduction of changes to the rear suspension.

In theory, the new suspension was originally scheduled for the British Grand Prix weekend in Silverstone. However, nothing is confirmed yet: the Maranello-based team is doing everything possible to stay on schedule, but if delays arise, the update could be postponed by three weeks and arrive only after the summer break at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. In the meantime, floor modifications are expected, which have been designed to support and pave the way for future developments.

This was previously discussed on June 5, over a month and a half ago, when the Italian team had identified the eleventh round of the season as a concrete opportunity to introduce this key change in one of the car’s most sensitive areas for aerodynamic load generation. On Thursday in Spielberg, during routine pit stop practice, the first differences were already visible on Dino Beganovic’s car.

The Ferrari engineers and technicians have once again modified the floor of the SF-25, a major component in which the Maranello team places high hopes. Many of the anticipated changes remain invisible, as they are focused around the keel and diffuser areas. The basic idea remains the same, as mentioned since the start of the year, when the car’s unstable high-speed behavior was first highlighted. This issue was discussed in Bahrain when the first correction was introduced.

The SF-25 single-seater lacks aerodynamic load both in twisty sections and in medium-to-high-speed corners. This vertical downforce shortfall can only be partially recovered during the current campaign, but it can certainly help open up the car’s operating window, allowing access to a significantly broader setup range—crucial for finding better aero-mechanical compromises. Ferrari’s suspension kinematics are inherently softer, which means it allows more squat or compression. While this might offer a good theoretical compromise, it has not delivered the expected results in the first ten races of the 2025 Formula 1 season. This is why close analysis of the car’s behavior in upcoming rounds will be especially relevant.

The outwash effect has therefore been modified, as the floor adjustments aim to reduce suspension compression sensitivity. A comparison reveals development work in the area where the outer fence connects to the floor’s inlet volume. The difference is small, but it aims to influence the vortex structure generated by this flow diverter, which redirects airflow outward to create the outwash effect. Managing its energy level is essential to maintain its efficiency.

Other updates are focused on the vertical fences at the floor’s leading edge. These elements are responsible for a significant portion of the floor’s downforce production and can improve floor performance by up to 15%. No major changes are visible on the floor’s sharp edge, which suggests modifications may involve the volume of various recesses used to house vortical structures flowing through the floor.

Ferrari aimed to create a more downforce-efficient floor by modifying the area underneath, making it more effective under different driving conditions. The goal was to expand the aerodynamic map, improving the availability of vertical load during yaw, pitch, and roll, particularly in roll, which becomes critical when the car enters the squat phase and the rear suspension compresses.