Why Ferrari got the SF-25 setup wrong in Miami and how they reacted

In Formula 1, there are many things to evaluate, and Ferrari often struggles with this in the start of the 2025 championship. The reason is quite simple and cannot be reduced solely to the inability of the technicians and engineers. Without a doubt, the car created from the 677 project has several flaws that were not sufficiently highlighted during the design phase. At the moment, the main limit of the Red car is the aerodynamic map. It is not broad enough.

Finding the perfect working point of a single-seater is very complicated. It is even more so when it is hidden among thousands of adjustments. When you realize that something is always missing technically, you obviously try to minimize the limits and, consequently, highlight the strengths of the car. The problem is that doing this with a very limited setup window is a challenge.

Moreover, especially in the current Formula 1 racing season governed by the existing regulatory body, it is quite clear how a well-suited setup can be a very powerful tool. Ferrari is trying everything, but the boat is leaking everywhere. Plugging one hole means opening others. In this way, work becomes impossible. The two Ferrari drivers are always forced to paddle with the steering wheel. Continuously correcting the car.

An example was already seen in the first free practice session at the Miami International Autodrome in Florida, which was the only practice session of the American weekend. The Ferrari drivers were forced to make continuous corrections to get the car into the corners. We are especially talking about the medium-fast sections, with a classic series of steering inputs to force the racing line. A dynamic that does not work and cannot work if it becomes the norm every race weekend.

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur this time admits the mistakes. He does not hide and the Frenchman claims that, in addition to the various limitations of the Ferrari mentioned above, the team made several errors. One of them is the study at the simulator via the Driver in the Loop software. The preparation for the race weekend was insufficient, especially on a weekend where, with the Sprint Race, there was a need to nail the setup from the start.

From the very first laps, the drivers realized that the initial direction, based on the hypothetical field, was completely misleading. With little time available, it was immediately decided to change the setup quite significantly. Rear-end adjustments were made to vary the ride height by acting on the tie rod, removing shims to modify the distance between the car and the track surface. At the same time, it was decided to intervene on the rear stiffness, combined with a suspension change at the front. By modifying roll stiffness, they tried to shape the car’s behavior in every section of the corner. Adjustments were made to the mechanical balance, which is crucial in the more guided sections. However, roll resistance calibration is just as decisive.

The goal was to achieve an optimal dynamic for the aerodynamic platform. A series of tuning changes that, overall, were predictable by observing the balance of the SF-25 single-seater. The Miami circuit requires strong compromises between aerodynamics and mechanics, which is why it was difficult to present an ideal setup. Despite this, once again, Ferrari found itself unprepared.

If we add to this errors in judgment, such as Charles Leclerc’s track position before his final run in SQ3, the situation automatically becomes more complicated. Charles Leclerc could have climbed up the rankings, but this situation slowed him down significantly, despite the fact that Frederic Vasseur brushed off the subject, which the Monegasque himself brought up over the radio, complaining quite a bit. For Lewis Hamilton, the usual adaptation problems persist.

The seven-time Formula 1 world champion is not at all comfortable with the car. Although the British driver received the same setup changes to the SF-25 number 44, he continued to suffer from a chronic lack of rotation in the slow corners, more so than his Maranello teammate. Small differences that result in a noticeable gap at the end of the lap.