The Chinese Grand Prix and today’s Japanese Grand Prix exposed a major limitation of the current Ferrari SF-25 single-seater: the ride height. Already in Australia, Charles Leclerc had mentioned some “last-minute changes,” as the Monegasque driver was very likely referring to the setup. And the following week it became clear that if you push the car too far, the skid block wears out excessively, leading to the disqualification of the SF-25 car. The first to pay the price for this was Lewis Hamilton at the Shanghai International Circuit.
However, with every extra millimeter in height, downforce is lost—and with it, significant performance. But how much does this compromise actually cost? Italian journalist and Editor in chief of Motorsport Franco Nugnes posed this question to several engineers and concluded: “1 millimeter on a good car means losing 0.2 seconds, while on a less competitive car, the loss can even reach 0.3 or 0.4 seconds. Ferrari is a very good car, but from what I understand, it’s been raised by more than 1 millimeter.” – the F1 expert explained.
That is a significant figure, considering how tight the grid is, and at the moment Ferrari is the fourth-fastest team. Finding the right setup window is tricky, but when it clicks, the SF-25 can hold its own, as seen in the Chinese Grand Sprint Race, which was won by Lewis Hamilton.
