Ferrari’s ineffective SF-25 upgrades raise questions over Loic Serra’s role. Ferrari’s SF-25 struggles after ineffective upgrades.

Ferrari brings updates with no impact: is new Technical Director Loic Serra to blame?

Some are criticizing Ferrari for introducing technical upgrades that appear to have had little effect compared to rival teams. All eyes are now on the new Technical Director, Loic Serra. The Prancing Horse has consistently been the fourth-fastest team since the summer break, with a noticeable drop in average points. The updates introduced by Ferrari on track have been labeled as “ineffective,” and attention is now turning toward the work of Serra.

Ferrari had already decided to halt aerodynamic development some time ago, even rejecting a floor upgrade that was planned to debut in Azerbaijan. The technical department, led by Loic Serra, opted to focus on the rear suspension. The new solution was developed over five months and then tested on track at Mugello. However, the debut at Spa was far from ideal, with the SF-25 seeming to lose performance, particularly with Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque driver had been running extreme settings to push the car to its limits. Yet, some believe Ferrari should have prioritized aerodynamic updates, which could have provided a measurable step forward on the timing sheets.

Zapelloni: “They should have admitted the project was wrong”

Umberto Zapelloni, in the latest episode of Race Anatomy, commented on Ferrari’s struggles. He argued that the team introduced updates that produced no tangible results. He highlighted that even after the summer break, the car had regressed. According to Umberto Zapelloni, Ferrari officials would promise to extract the maximum potential from the car but consistently failed, blaming others instead of admitting when a project was flawed. He referenced Andrea Stella’s approach, noting that McLaren won two world championships two years later by recognizing and correcting design mistakes. Umberto Zapelloni emphasized that early performance was promising, but inefficiencies arose once the car’s ride height and aerodynamics were compromised.

Filisetti criticizes Serra’s strategy

While Zapelloni only hinted at Serra’s responsibility, Paolo Filisetti of Gazzetta dello Sport was more direct in his analysis of the French engineer’s choices. According to Paolo Filisetti, the new rear suspension exacerbated performance issues over the weekend. Serra had judged that improving rear suspension dynamics would create a more stable platform and optimize the car’s aerodynamics. Instead of pursuing planned aerodynamic upgrades, Serra prioritized vehicle dynamics. Paolo Filisetti pointed out that during the period technical resources were allocated to suspension development, at least two aerodynamic updates could have been implemented if the focus had not been solely on vehicle dynamics.

The 2026 project under Serra, Vasseur, and Sanchez

Looking ahead, the 2026 car project is now in the hands of the Serra-Vasseur-Sanchez trio, all French, who will make crucial decisions for Ferrari’s future. The SF-25 was a flawed car from the start, designed to its extreme limits, but a more balanced development plan might have allowed the drivers to progress and compete more evenly with rivals on certain occasions. We may never know. Paolo Filisetti concluded that some believe aerodynamic development could have been more effective in improving the car according to driver preferences, while the aerodynamic department played a necessarily marginal role in the SF-25’s evolution.