Ferrari arrives at the demanding and technical Spa-Francorchamps circuit, located deep within the Ardennes forest, with a crucial and potentially transformative technical update to the rear suspension of its 2025 Formula 1 car, the Ferrari SF-25. The update is part of an effort to further maximize the aerodynamic platform’s efficiency and ensure greater consistency under dynamic racing conditions.
The long-awaited moment has finally arrived. Only two days remain until the first green light at the end of the pit lane signals the beginning of on-track activity at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit. This event serves as the thirteenth round of the 2025 Formula One World Championship and also marks the third Sprint weekend of the season, adding extra importance to performance and car setup. For this pivotal Grand Prix in Belgium, the Ferrari engineers and technicians are set to debut a brand-new configuration for the rear suspension of the SF-25—a development that was first evaluated during a recent and strictly controlled filming day at the Mugello Circuit in Tuscany.
This new technical component represents a significant geometric revision aimed at enhancing the management of pitch behavior, allowing the team to fully exploit the performance potential of the revised floor that was initially introduced during the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring circuit.
The technical department at Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters is now prepared to implement this latest rear suspension update on the SF-25. The development has been carried out in close synergy with the revised and upgraded floor, which was seen for the first time at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. The updated suspension element, which carries high expectations within the team and among fans, successfully passed an initial series of functional tests at Mugello. A visible and significant modification involves the repositioning of the front attachment point of the upper wishbone arm, which is now anchored lower than in the previous version of the car’s suspension setup.
This intervention into the car’s suspension kinematics reflects a growing trend in modern Formula 1 design and is in line with approaches already adopted earlier this season by other leading teams, including the Mercedes and the McLaren. It showcases a technical philosophy aimed at reducing vertical excursions—or chassis movement along the vertical axis—caused by sudden braking and aggressive acceleration. The primary goal is to create a more stable and rigid aerodynamic platform during high-speed transitions and directional changes.
Ferrari is therefore pursuing a more stable and predictable aerodynamic platform for its single-seater. The newly designed layout of the upper wishbone arm works in unison with the anti-dive geometries implemented on the front suspension of the SF-25. Together, they aim to produce a more consistent and predictable behavior of the vehicle’s chassis along the longitudinal axis. Controlling pitch behavior—meaning the nose-up and nose-down motion of the car—is one of the most critical factors in maximizing the effectiveness of aerodynamic load. This is especially vital in ground-effect Formula 1 cars, where even minor variations in ride height can have a profound and non-linear impact on the amount of downforce that is generated.
By stabilizing the aerodynamic behavior of the SF-25’s platform, Ferrari’s technical team can afford to set the car’s ride height lower than before. This allows for an increase in downforce under low delta-pressure conditions and improves the adherence of airflow across the entire floor of the car, especially in the rear section and around sensitive areas such as the rear diffuser.
Minimizing pitch movements during acceleration and braking phases offers clearly measurable aerodynamic benefits. However, it may also introduce drawbacks from the standpoint of vehicle dynamics and driver perception. A reduced pitch response may cause the car to feel less communicative to the driver, especially during transitional moments such as braking into a corner or quick direction changes. As a result, the driver may experience a reduction in feedback, making it more difficult to interpret the mechanical behavior of the car—particularly during corner entry and initial turn-in phases.
At the same time, the decision to run a lower ride height introduces a very real risk of increased interference between the underbody of the car and the track surface. This raises the danger of surpassing the FIA-regulated wear limits for the wooden plank, also known as the skid block or floor plank, which is mounted beneath the car’s chassis. In response to this issue, Ferrari likely made additional adjustments to the suspension’s damping components. Although this cannot be confirmed with absolute certainty due to the high level of secrecy surrounding the Mugello tests—tests that were heavily restricted to protect the confidentiality of new developments—this would be a logical step in the update process.
It is therefore highly plausible that the technical package introduced during the Mugello test sessions also includes a revision of the damper calibration and overall suspension tuning. The Ferrari suspension system features a tri-element configuration—comprised of two main dampers and a third central element—that governs the behavior of the suspension during both compression and extension. These elements are especially critical in relation to the speed of vertical chassis movement.
A stiffer or more finely tuned damping setup allows the car to better resist bottoming out at high speeds, when aerodynamic downforce is at its peak. This helps prevent excessive contact between the plank and the track surface, which could result in disqualification or penalties if the wear exceeds legal limits. Based on available data and feedback, it appears that the previous configuration may have lacked sufficient control in the critical operating window where the ride height is extremely low. This likely forced Ferrari’s engineers to adopt a less-than-optimal compromise, which may have hindered performance.
Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have at various times this season, either implicitly or explicitly, expressed dissatisfaction regarding the car’s behavior under such conditions. Their remarks suggest that these technical limitations were not just theoretical, but had tangible impacts on confidence and handling.
Ferrari SF-25: Evolved Floor and Suspension – Is This the Final Evolutionary Package?
The updated floor that made its debut at the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring was the first clear sign of Ferrari’s mid-season development roadmap for the SF-25 chassis. The integration of that revised floor with the new rear suspension layout now provides the team with a real opportunity to explore the car’s ideal operating window under competitive conditions.
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is widely recognized for its extreme sensitivity to aerodynamic balance and chassis stability, particularly through high-speed corners such as Eau Rouge, Raidillon, and Blanchimont. It offers the perfect proving ground for evaluating whether Ferrari’s revised technical package can truly unlock additional performance and deliver a competitive step forward during the second half of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship season.
Now, all that remains is to let the on-track performance provide the final verdict—weather permitting, of course. And as Formula 1 fans know all too well, good weather is never guaranteed amid the unpredictable climate of the dense forests of the Ardennes.
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