“The 677, on paper, is very good.” With these words, Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur recently spoke about the SF-25, the car that, after a fluctuating but overall positive 2024 season (where the Scuderia fought for the constructors’ title until the final race), will aim to bring the team back to championship glory. According to our information, Ferrari’s new car is progressing without issues and on schedule: as reported exclusively in December, the chassis has passed the crash tests, the car’s assembly is going well, and the power unit is about to be installed after the final bench tests on the few modified accessory parts compared to the previous specification.
So many new features…
The SF-25 will have many differences from its predecessor to overcome its limitations, refine an almost maxed-out development, and improve performance in weaker areas—especially in achieving one-lap speed, where getting the tires up to temperature and extracting the package’s full potential was a struggle. The car will feature a new chassis with a revised driver position and a new front pull-rod suspension for clear dynamic benefits. There will also be a new, shorter gearbox housing with a different layout for the rear suspension linkages, optimizing traction and improving tire management.
Innovation and fierce rivalry
A potentially competitive car will be entrusted to Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton—two top-tier drivers who, without a doubt, will be capable of extracting its full potential and pushing it to the limit. They will do so not only because of their natural instinct but also to perform at their best in every situation, aiming to outdo their teammate and establish internal supremacy. Lewis Hamilton will rely on his decorated career, while Leclerc will aim to prove to the world that, just as he ended Sebastian Vettel’s dominance at Ferrari in 2019, he can do the same to a seven-time world champion—solidifying his status as a top driver, despite never having had a truly race-winning car.
Leo Turrini also touched on this intriguing intra-team battle in his blog Profondo Rosso:
“2019. Andrea Bertolini takes Charles Leclerc aside and says: ‘Go to Australia, it’s your Ferrari debut, Sebastian Vettel is a four-time world champion. Take it easy.’ Charles Leclerc’s response: ‘I’ll crush Seb.’ I don’t think Leclerc’s attitude toward Lewis will be any different. He’ll want to stay ahead of him, and Hamilton will want the same. […] Your teammate is your first rival. Leclerc wasn’t surprised by the warm welcome Lewis received. He knew he’d have to share the garage with one of the most charismatic figures in the sport. […] For Carletto, this is a huge motivation. He won’t admit it, […] but sending the Baronetto into retirement, after having already initiated Vettel’s exit, is his goal. Leclerc won’t give up the keys to Maranello so easily.”
