Ferrari are pushing hard for performance improvements before the Formula 1 summer break, as the Scuderia plan to introduce important upgrades for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at the Belgian and Hungarian Grands Prix. The team’s proactive approach demonstrates their determination to close the gap with the frontrunners.
Between the British Grand Prix and the Belgian GP, Ferrari took advantage of the three-week interval to conduct a filming day at their Mugello test track. This session allowed them to run a 200-kilometre test of the new rear suspension upgrade intended for its official debut at Spa-Francorchamps next weekend.
Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton completed 100 kilometres each in the SF-25 fitted with the new rear suspension at Mugello last Thursday. Although the team maintained a cautiously optimistic atmosphere in the garage, Leclerc did not report a significant performance improvement from the upgrade during his on-track time.
Technical Director Loïc Serra, who led the development of the rear suspension update, and Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur were present during the filming day to closely monitor the car’s behaviour with the new components. Notably, Ferrari remains the only team among F1’s current top four to have yet to secure a race victory or pole position in the 2025 season.
Renowned technical analyst Gary Anderson expressed that he is not observing as much benefit from Ferrari’s rear suspension upgrade as initially anticipated. Although the Mugello filming day was a private test ahead of the Belgian GP—which will feature just one practice session due to its status as an F1 Sprint event—images of the rear suspension changes quickly emerged from the circuit.
Anderson pointed out that Ferrari modified the mounting point of the front wishbone of their pull-rod rear suspension to the gearbox, a change intended to enhance the car’s stability and allow it to run closer to the ground. However, he indicated to The Race that the results of this modification appear underwhelming relative to expectations.
He explained that Ferrari has reportedly faced compromises in rear ride height in an effort to reduce plank wear. While the damper on the suspension does not directly control the car’s rear height, it affects the rate of change in ride height, particularly in relation to aerodynamic porpoising—a vibration caused by airflow separation and reattachment under the car.
Ferrari’s damper adjustment is designed to shift the frequency of this ride height change away from the problematic aerodynamic oscillations. Additionally, Anderson noted that Ferrari increased the anti-lift feature on the rear suspension’s top wishbone forward leg. Despite these engineering efforts, Anderson feels the upgrade has delivered less of an improvement than expected given the scope of the changes.
Comparisons have also been drawn between Ferrari’s rear suspension upgrade and Mercedes’ recent design enhancements. Mercedes first introduced their new rear suspension concept at Imola and reintroduced it with refinements at the Canadian Grand Prix, where George Russell capitalized on it to win from pole position.
Anderson praised Mercedes’ rear suspension upgrade as a ‘win-win’ solution, highlighting how it helped Russell better manage rear wheelspin and tyre temperatures while enabling the car to run lower to the ground with improved stability. In contrast, Ferrari’s upgrade is seen as less advanced technologically, but the team hopes it will at least address the issues that have hampered their performance this season.
Ferrari’s challenges have included excessive skid block wear, which resulted in Lewis Hamilton’s disqualification from the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix after the SF-25 was found to be running too low. The new rear suspension is intended to mitigate such issues by improving ride height control without sacrificing speed.
Looking ahead, Ferrari also plans to introduce a power steering upgrade at the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring circuit to enhance driver feedback and control at high speeds. This development could be particularly beneficial for Lewis Hamilton, who has struggled with braking precision partly due to the current power steering setup.
By focusing on these technical improvements before the summer break, the Italian side aims to regain competitiveness and improve the SF-25’s reliability and drivability as the 2025 season progresses.
Leave a Reply