Ahead of this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix, it seems Ferrari is facing a dilemma: whether to introduce in Sakhir an improved version of the floor—part of a broader upgrade planned for Miami—or not. According to gathered reports, the modified floor has already been produced and is ready to be potentially used in Bahrain. However, this possibility appears to be encountering internal resistance within the team. On one side is the aerodynamics department: based on simulations, they are reportedly satisfied with the data, which points toward an improvement in the car’s performance. But there’s another group that believes the current lack of performance stems from the SF-25’s imperfect balance; according to them, the balance issue should be solved before introducing any upgrade on the car.
Divisions within Ferrari — Technical director Loic Serra and team principal Fred Vasseur are said to be among the supporters of this second theory: they believe it’s better to perfect the car’s dynamic balance before introducing a change to the current aerodynamics. Their underlying argument is that otherwise, the benefits of the development might be negated—or at best, it would be difficult to assess its real effectiveness. In essence, Ferrari engineers have not yet decided whether to introduce the new floor already in Sakhir. The news has been reported by the Italian daily newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport
Ferrari’s decisions — Rumors point to Thursday, April 10, as the deadline to assess the opportunity, based on the analysis of the Suzuka data: once it is understood whether the car’s performance was limited aerodynamically despite a good balance, as Charles Leclerc claimed, or rather due to still imperfect dynamic balance. It seems appropriate to consider an additional theoretical option: a direct comparison between the current floor version and the upgraded one during Free Practice in Sakhir, before making a final decision.
The Prancing Horse leaves Suzuka with many doubts and few certainties. The performance continues to disappoint, despite what was, on paper, the best weekend of the season. Fourth and seventh places are not enough to aim for the title, the objective Maranello had declared at the start of the season. And while some are beginning to believe the car was “poorly born,” at the factory, questions about the future are being raised.
There are two rifts to mend. The first is between the drivers, who now openly admit they have very different technical preferences. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are pushing to have autonomy in managing the setup, breaking down the myth of the “similar driving style.” The second, perhaps more serious, lies within the engineering department: what should take priority heading into Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Miami?
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