Why is Ferrari SF-25 struggling with reliability issues and ride height?. Why is ride height an issue for the Ferrari SF-25?.

In China, Ferrari showed two faces: the one of victory and pole position in the Sprint between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, and the one of difficulties and double disqualification between Saturday afternoon and Sunday’s race. But why such a dramatic performance gap? According to Stefano Nicoli, Ferrari has been dealing with reliability issues and “playing” too much with ride height…

The Italian journalist, speaking on the Terruzzi Racconta podcast, explained the technical difficulties behind Ferrari’s struggles and Sunday’s disqualification. Many fans wondered how a car capable of winning the Sprint could then struggle in qualifying and the race before ultimately being disqualified for irregularities.

Why did Ferrari shine in the Sprint and then get disqualified?
“It seems that some mechanical components on the Ferrari cannot withstand the external stresses imposed by the stiff rear suspension springs. This issue could force Ferrari to use softer springs, which, among other things, make the car more sensitive to weight variations caused by fuel load.” This is the starting point identified by Stefano Nicoli.

“Hamilton, therefore, was fast when, despite using softer springs, the lower fuel load allowed for the correct ride height.” This is because, during Sprint qualifying and the Sprint itself, the car was set up to handle a lower fuel load.

Why is ride height an issue for the SF-25?
“At a later stage, Ferrari has to prepare to manage a greater fuel load. To do so, they are forced to further raise the car after the Sprint and before qualifying when parc fermé regulations do not apply. Only by raising the car can excessive plank wear be avoided. However, despite increasing the ride height, the floor of Hamilton’s Ferrari still wore down…” the journalist added.

The conclusion sounds almost definitive. “Ferrari, therefore, is forced to operate within a very thin margin. On one side, raising the car to avoid losing performance due to aerodynamic reasons. On the other, keeping a minimum ride height while risking excessive floor wear. This is severely limiting the car’s performance.”

Will Loic Serra and the Ferrari team find a solution?