Ferrari is struggling to make the SF-25 work. Round 23 of the F1 season was always going to be challenging, and there were few doubts about that. However, every move attempted by the Italian team has failed to yield results on track. The challenge is particularly tough at a circuit like Lusail, where the balance between suspension, aerodynamics, and tyres is crucial. All the car’s weaknesses have sadly come to the surface.
Ferrari: setup changes fail to improve SF-25 tyre management
One of the most disappointing qualifying sessions of the year saw Ferrari unable to find any rhythm in Qatar. Several precise factors explain this poor performance, starting with the handling of the SF-25 on track. After the Sprint Race, regulations allow teams to make setup adjustments, meaning each team can try to correct what didn’t work earlier in the weekend.
In practice, these technical directives were ineffective during the only free practice sessions. On Friday, we already saw a severe lack of rotation, which then turned into excessive rotation when the driver applied throttle at high steering angles. The situation did not improve significantly compared to the previous day, a point both drivers also highlighted.
However, the setup changes did at least slightly reduce the overall imbalance. While it is unclear exactly what adjustments the engineers made, it is evident that they attempted to improve the balance, which was clearly lacking yesterday. Understeer was only slightly reduced and mainly during the initial phase of cornering. Turn-in felt somewhat better, but overall a very precise pattern emerged.
SF-25: car limitations make tyre management even harder
At corner entry, both SF-25s showed a certain degree of stability, managing to aim for the apex. From that point onward, however, Ferrari drivers were unable to rotate the car effectively. The lack of rotation persisted throughout corner exit, with Lewis and Charles visibly “dragged” outwards, forcing them to delay throttle application significantly.
For Charles Leclerc specifically, Ferrari increased the front wing angle substantially. The goal was clear: to shift the balance forward. The Monegasque prefers a solid front with a lighter rear to manage, but with this particular setup package, the balance shifted too much grip to the rear, further accentuating the SF-25’s chronic understeer.
These limitations directly impacted tyre performance. Thermal management became difficult during flying laps, causing overheating that reduced grip levels. The Soft compound amplified these problems, overheating more easily and further unbalancing the car.
Qatar Grand Prix outlook remains challenging
Overall, Ferrari lacked the lateral grip needed to match McLaren’s exceptional mid-corner speed. Additionally, the SF-25 struggles with direction changes, losing significant speed as the rear does not follow the front effectively. As expected, Lusail’s corner types proved highly unfavorable for the Italian team.
Over the 300 km race distance, the challenges experienced in qualifying will persist even with a full fuel load. It remains to be seen whether slightly lower cornering speeds will ease handling issues. Regardless, both cars arrive at this penultimate Grand Prix with too many unknowns to hope for a strong result.
The drivers’ commitment has never been lacking and will certainly continue, but driving these cars knowing the primary goal is simply to finish the race is extremely frustrating. The mandatory two-stop strategy will further limit options, making it even harder to avoid a result that, on paper, looks destined to disappoint once again.
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