The Ferrari SF-25 deteriorates as race weekends progress—or at least, that’s what has emerged from the first two rounds of the 2025 F1 season. However, behind this issue, there may be a specific problem forcing the Maranello team to make adjustments that ultimately reduce performance. But what could it be?
At the Albert Park circuit in Australia, the two Ferrari cars demonstrated solid pace in Friday’s free practice sessions, almost matching McLaren. However, as the weekend progressed, the Maranello team struggled compared to its early performance.
Ferrari, the “Friday Champion”: What’s Behind the Performance Drop?
The same pattern, or even a more pronounced version of it, occurred in China. At the Shanghai circuit, Ferrari secured pole position and a Sprint Race victory, only to struggle in qualifying and the main race, where they were even disqualified. Can a team go from dominating to faltering within a single weekend? Apparently so—but why?
It seems increasingly clear that the car is well-prepared for Friday sessions, but once adjustments begin, the SF-25 starts losing performance. It’s as if the car performs well in the simulator and arrives at the track in peak condition, yet once it hits the circuit, necessary modifications end up compromising its potential.
Lewis Hamilton’s disqualification due to excessive floor wear is further evidence that the car’s operational window within regulatory limits is extremely narrow. Moreover, after testing the car on actual track conditions—with all the unpredictable factors that come with it—mechanics are forced to alter the setup. This suggests that the issues Ferrari faces might be difficult to detect in simulations.
The next test will be the Suzuka circuit in Japan, a track often seen as the ultimate benchmark for each team’s true performance. Ferrari will be hoping to have solved its problems during the break from racing.
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