Ferrari SF-25 design based on almost completely new concept, but what remains unchanged?
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The countdown to the unveiling of Ferrari's new SF-25 on Wednesday, February 19, has officially started. Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur had already confirmed the insights gathered by the Italian website AutoRacer.it during the development of project 677: “In the fourth year of this technical cycle, we have a wealth of data at our disposal, and the 2025 car will be entirely new.” The French Team Principal also disclosed that a mere 1% of the 2024 car would be carried over to the SF-25. This is a blunt way of indicating that the 2025 car's development is akin to starting from scratch, drawing entirely on the extensive knowledge accumulated over the past three seasons. This message was also clearly conveyed by Frederic Vasseur to the technical team. The staff, headed by Loic Serra, Ferrari’s new Technical Director, Diego Tondi, responsible for the aerodynamic department, and Fabio Montecchi, the Chief Project Engineer, has introduced bold decisions aimed at making the 2025 season not just a transitional year but a significant step forward before the major changes expected in 2026.
The SF-25 introduces substantial changes on the exterior, while the interior remains less revolutionary: focused adjustments to cooling systems are planned, but the highly efficient triangular airbox is likely to stay. The SF-24 was already a vehicle that marked a major departure from Ferrari’s previous designs, with aerodynamics significantly revamped following the issues faced by the old 2023 car. According to knowledgeable technical sources, “these regulations still have untapped potential,” meaning there's still considerable room for improvement. While this process is undoubtedly challenging, there is a consensus that once the correct path is identified, significant gains can follow. Ferrari's strategy revolves around aggressively adopting the front pull-rod, not just to overcome the serious limitations that the SF-24 endured throughout the season, particularly regarding tire management. The redistribution of mass, however, is anything but simple and will require time and careful learning to fully optimize the car's setup.
In contrast to this, the rear section of the SF-25 has not undergone a drastic reconfiguration of its internal mechanics, but rather a more subtle and precise evolution in line with the team’s objectives. Similarly, the car's central structure has not experienced a complete overhaul. While other teams, such as Williams (and others), have opted to redistribute the car's mass, with the FW47 notably eliminating the large central radiator located behind the airscoop, Ferrari has chosen not to undertake such a heavy redistribution of cooling components. Instead, the team has focused on further optimizing the existing cooling setup. This decision maintains the car's original character while allowing adjustments that accommodate other modifications, such as the changes made to the chassis that affect the cooling system layout.
There is no drastic transformation akin to Red Bull's 2024 overhaul, which included an extensive redistribution of radiators across the RB20, a move that, although it posed challenges for the Milton Keynes team, ultimately helped solve cooling issues, as evidenced by the adjustments made during the Suzuka race. Ferrari, however, opted not to take this risky approach. Instead, they chose to retain a familiar weight distribution in the central part of the car, staying close to the configurations of previous Ferrari models.
As for the SF-25, the 1% of carryover elements from the 2024 Formula 1 car, the SF24, as mentioned by Frederic Vasseur, will include, among other things, the hood intake, which will maintain its triangular shape, mirroring the design of the roll hoop. This feature has been a part of Ferrari's design philosophy since the F1-75 in 2022 (and even earlier with the SF-90) and is part of the team's desire to avoid moving towards more central cooling systems, also known as centerline cooling. The distinctive "ears" attached to the sides of the airbox will also remain present on the entire fleet of Ferrari-powered cars through 2024. Even Ferrari’s customer teams, Sauber and Haas, have opted to centralize their car's mass by shifting not only the oil radiator to the center but also repositioning the electric radiator along the car’s central axis. This allows for better utilization of space, particularly in the sidepod areas.
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