The Emilia-Romagna circuit should suit the characteristics of the SF-25 better than the Miami track, where Ferrari finished nearly a minute behind McLaren, the undisputed benchmark of this early championship. The American layout, in fact, required several compromises in terms of setup, especially to balance fast corners and slower sections.
It’s no secret that, up to this point in the season, Ferrari has shown a lack of performance in slower corners. However, it’s important to clarify something: more than in slow sections in general, the SF-25 seems to struggle specifically in low-speed corners with long duration, where strong front-end grip is essential.
This was also clearly evident in Miami, where most of the time lost in slow sections did not occur in tight corners, but in long, flowing sequences, where the car still struggles to manage understeer, something the drivers have repeatedly pointed out.
Imola presents a very different circuit compared to Miami: the average lap speed is still high considering its almost street-track-like nature. And although it does feature some medium-low speed sections that could expose the SF-25’s weaknesses, fewer compromises are required than at the American round.
One of the uncertainties will be the C6, a compound designed as a qualifying tyre for Imola, which will become a central theme—especially for Ferrari, which has often struggled to extract maximum potential from the softest compounds in qualifying. And on a track where grid position carries significant weight, leaving little room for strategy, the single lap will be crucial. Imola should also see the first updates of the season for many teams, Ferrari included, as Frederic Vasseur mentioned a few weeks ago. However, the package with which Ferrari will appear is not expected to be particularly substantial: mostly aerodynamic adjustments, while waiting for further upgrades planned for Barcelona, where the new front wing flex directive will also come into effect.
It’s no coincidence that the Maranello’s Team Principal speaks of “potential,” even looking ahead to Imola: a true leitmotif, in the hope of extracting something more from the SF-25 while awaiting more impactful updates that can resolve its weaknesses.
“After the first six races, held across three different continents, we begin the European phase of the championship in Imola. Since the last Grand Prix, we’ve been working intensely in Maranello, focusing on every detail ahead of the upcoming race, with the goal of maximizing the potential of our package and putting Charles and Lewis in the best possible conditions to perform on a demanding track. We’ll also be able to count on the support of our Italian fans, and we’re very pleased about that,” said Fred Vasseur on the eve of the Italian round.
Ferrari does not want to create illusions, but hopes that at Imola, on home ground, it can at least try to bring some joy to its fans.
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