Four races without highlights—aside from Lewis Hamilton’s flash in the China Sprint—yet signs of hope are emerging for Ferrari from Bahrain. Charles Leclerc’s fourth place, still off the podium, can’t be a reason for satisfaction, but the finishing order doesn’t tell the full story. The SF-25’s performance during the middle stint of the race was in fact impressive. At that point, the car was carrying over 65 percent of the starting fuel load, yet the Ferraris remained fast. Even Lewis Hamilton, who struggled the entire weekend without finding a setup that suited him, clocked a series of strong laps in that phase.
This analysis appears to be based on data available to Ferrari’s engineers, who concluded that the car’s “operating window” in Bahrain was significantly wider—almost double—compared to Suzuka just a week earlier. It’s undeniable that the new floor introduced in Sakhir had a positive impact, allowing for more consistent performance across a broader range of conditions, not just with low fuel. This Sunday’s race in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, takes place on an extremely fast street circuit, characterized by a series of rapid direction changes and a smooth, low-abrasion surface—completely the opposite of Bahrain. Tyre degradation is expected to be very low, to the point that Pirelli has selected its softest compound combination (C3, C4, C5). This could be the ideal scenario for a further expansion of Ferrari’s performance window. According to some reports, the gain could reach around 30 percent compared to Bahrain.
Ferrari ride heights – The SF-25 will run a low-downforce aerodynamic configuration, with minimal wing incidence and, above all, reduced ride height, fully exploiting the ground effect aerodynamic load. As a result, Ferrari could mitigate the floor performance losses seen in previous races. Furthermore, the Jeddah circuit should suit the DNA of the 2025 car, which is designed for fast corners. Particular attention during simulator sessions for this GP was given to improving the car’s mechanical traction, testing numerous dynamic setup (suspension) combinations. Ferrari’s shortcomings in this early part of the season are indeed tied to the interaction between aerodynamics and chassis. So, the direction taken in Bahrain seems to be the right one. Meanwhile, Maranello is working on the next upgrades, some of which are expected as early as Miami. Will we finally see Ferrari on the attack?
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