After the two-week mid-season break, Formula 1 returned to the track at Spa-Francorchamps for the thirteenth round of the 2025 season. This race, following a disappointing start to the year, could represent a turning point for Scuderia Ferrari, as the team introduced the SF-25 “Evo,” now finally equipped with the new rear suspension system. According to initial forecasts and team expectations, this new suspension should help unlock the full potential of the car. The upgrade aims to firmly establish Ferrari as the second-strongest team on the grid, targeting what has become the minimum—and at the same time maximum—goal of the championship, despite earlier grand proclamations. Achieving this objective would mark a resolution to the difficulties experienced in Maranello during the early part of the season, with the hope that the new suspension system will allow the car to run closer to the ground, as it was originally designed to perform.
Pre-race tactics and…
Therefore, Ferrari was the team under the most scrutiny during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend in the Ardennes, with drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton bombarded with questions about the new developments from the moment they arrived in the paddock on Thursday. Understandably, both drivers chose to engage in pre-race tactical communication, either deflecting or being cautious on the topic. This was especially true for Charles Leclerc, who expressed a reserved opinion on the upgrades due to the unique Sprint format of the weekend. “I am confident, there have been too many problems in the past, but this time I hope that the developments will allow us to take a step forward. I don’t want to make any predictions. I won’t comment on the suspension, those are internal details,” said the Monegasque driver, aligning his comments with those of Sir Lewis Hamilton. The drivers remained tight-lipped, awaiting the first track feedback from the single free practice session before setting up the car for the Sprint qualifying.
Instability
The free practice session, judging by the lap time data, appeared to provide some promising signs regarding the effectiveness of the new rear suspension. The drivers’ feedback was moderately positive, leaning towards an approval of the new technical solution. However, listening closely to Lewis Hamilton’s team radio communications revealed some potential concerns about the true quality of the upgrade—or more likely, about the fact that its integration into the car might not yet be fully perfected or finalized. The actual effectiveness of the innovation will only be assessable, as noted, after one or two more races. The seven-time World Champion from the United Kingdom, after just a few laps on the challenging Belgian circuit, openly reported over the radio, without beating around the bush, to his race engineer Riccardo Adami, problems related to rear locking and instability at the back of the car. “I’m experiencing a lot of rear locking and instability,” said the former Mercedes driver.
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