Ferrari Struggles with Ride-Height Issue as Hamilton Faces Familiar Mercedes-Era Challenge
Lewis Hamilton celebrated pole position and a race win in only his second qualifying session as a Ferrari driver, with memories of the Chinese GP Sprint providing a highlight in an otherwise challenging season. Despite flashes of competitive form in Monaco, Silverstone, and Hungary, the SF-25 has often fallen short of expectations, leaving Ferrari trailing in both race pace and overall performance.
At the Shanghai Grand Prix, Ferrari appeared strongest on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, suggesting the potential the team had hoped to unlock. However, the Scuderia has struggled to maintain consistency, finishing just behind McLaren in last year’s championship standings and initially topping the points table after the summer break. Since then, a significant performance gap of over 300 points has emerged, highlighting the challenges the Italian team faces in closing the deficit to the front runners.
Upgrades Fail to Deliver as 2025 Season Progresses
Ferrari introduced several major technical upgrades throughout the season, but none have delivered the expected improvement in race-winning pace. With the 2025 development cycle nearing its end, questions remain about the team’s ability to secure victories this year, despite strong performances from drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton at key circuits.
Ride-Height Regulations Pose Ongoing Challenge
According to F1 insider Ted Kravitz on Sky F1’s Paddock Uncut show, Ferrari has been dealing with a fundamental issue: they have been forced to raise the SF-25’s ride height to avoid excessive floor plank wear, which could render the car illegal. While this ensures compliance with FIA regulations, it sacrifices aerodynamic downforce, limiting the car’s performance on high-speed tracks like Shanghai.
Krivitz explained that Ferrari has been reluctant to publicly detail the precise technical reasons for this limitation. The ride-height challenge has parallels with problems Mercedes experienced during the early ground-effect era, where managing plank wear while optimizing downforce was equally complex. Hamilton has felt the effects of this limitation firsthand, noting that the car cannot be run as low as he would prefer, echoing frustrations from his time at Mercedes.
Leclerc has reportedly accepted the SF-25’s limitations for the remainder of the season, recognizing that the championship is largely out of reach and that the team’s development focus has shifted to the 2026 regulations. According to Kravitz, Charles Leclerc acknowledged that resolving the ride-height issue before the season’s end is unlikely because the team’s resources are now dedicated to next year’s car.
Technical Departures and Team Transition
Ferrari’s struggles have also been influenced by changes in the technical department. Former technical director Enrico Cardile departed for Aston Martin last year, leaving a gap in the leadership of the SF-25 project. While Cardile had conceptualized the car, he was not responsible for its final implementation. Team principal Fred Vasseur temporarily filled the technical void, and although Loic Serra has now taken over, Ferrari appears to have lost some direction during the transition period.
Hamilton’s Driving Style vs. the SF-25
Juan Pablo Montoya has commented that the Briton’s biggest challenge at Ferrari is that the 2025 SF-25 does not align with his driving style. While Hamilton cannot openly critique the car in interviews, insiders suggest he struggles to extract maximum performance from the current package. Despite this, Ferrari will be able to integrate more of Hamilton’s preferences into the design for 2026, although the car will not be tailored exclusively to him. Leclerc’s consistent scoring has been critical to Ferrari’s points haul this season, ensuring the team balances development between both drivers.
As the 2025 season progresses, Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari must contend with the ride-height limitation, a car that challenges the Briton’s driving approach, and the ongoing effort to maximize competitiveness. While the SF-25 has shown glimpses of potential, it remains clear that technical challenges and team transitions have shaped a season of mixed results for the Scuderia.
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