It’s all true: in Formula 1, Ferrari has not delivered the expected results at all. But precisely for this reason, we must thoroughly and rationally analyze the situation that unfolded early this morning at the 5.278-kilometre Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit in Melbourne, in the qualifying session for the Australian Grand Prix. It is therefore almost an obligation to make several considerations about the facts, separating the good from the less good. We can say that, overall, the SF-25 single-seater had found very good handling between Friday and Saturday. However, in qualifying, the Maranello team took a step back, failing to capitalize on the car’s pace.
As we highlighted during pre-season testing session in Bahrain, the performance levels of the four top teams are extremely close. Everything comes down to small details, which are not always in plain sight. The SF-25 had a tendency to understeer, indeed, but with patience, the team had largely managed to contain this behavior so that it did not cause issues on corner exit, turning into oversteer. Already in the final free practice session, however, the car showed signs of an imperfect balance.
A tough third sector for Ferrari
The first chicane was Ferrari territory, as it was able to use the inside curb of Turn 1 more effectively. On corner exit, the SF-25 utilized the full width of the track very well, unlike McLaren, which stayed more to the inside. The MCL39 has a stiffer setup, making it less suited to absorbing bumps. The British F1 car could not follow the same racing line as the Ferrari without becoming unsettled. At Turn 3, the two cars were evenly matched, but at Turn 4, telemetry data shown that the McLaren carried much more speed, indicating a very strong change of direction.
Overall, the Maranello team confirmed good aerodynamic balance, as the SF-25 had similar performance to the McLaren in the Turn 6-7 chicane. The main issue that emerged during the final practice session for the Australian Grand Prix was the last sector. In this section of the Albert Park circuit, the Ferrari SF-25 cars struggled to be effective, losing the advantage gained earlier. During qualifying, we witnessed a gradual decline, with an “unusual” Ferrari compared to what we had previously observed.
The SF-25 proved unstable at Turn 3, where Charles Leclerc lost the rear on entry in both of his Q3 attempts. As we explained yesterday, Ferrari suffers from a certain degree of understeer on entry, but we had never seen such a pronounced lack of rotation at corner entry. It is difficult to determine whether this was due to driving itself, but a small setup change may have unbalanced the car. Charles Leclerc had already reported a different feeling with the car starting from the final free practice session earlier today.
The most accredited hypothesis is a thermal issue with the tire compound. While it is difficult to know for sure, the cause seems to be a failure to adapt to the parameter that was modified by Pirelli yesterday. We are referring to the 1 Psi increase in front tire pressure, a change imposed by the Italian manufacturer for Saturday in Australia. The matter is certainly not entirely clear yet, but it seems that even when checking the dashboard on the steering wheel, the target temperature was not correct.
The difference in the pressure criteria imposed on the tire can create a condition that limits the contact patch of the compound. As a result, grip decreases, and so does performance. In his final attempt, Lewis Hamilton did not make any major mistakes, and overall, car number 44 had a satisfactory balance. However, Lewis Hamilton is still a step behind his Maranello teammate Charles Leclerc in terms of understanding the car. The various Formula 1 tests carried out over the winter were not enough. The British driver still needs to grasp the effects of the different steering wheel settings and unlock more potential.
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