Ferrari SF-25 in Bahrain configuration at Fiorano: work on setup ahead of testing
Yesterday at 05:36 AM
A new red dream led Ferrari F1 fans to the increasingly iconic bridge at Fiorano. Two days ago, Maranello once again dressed up for the occasion to accompany the first laps of the newborn SF-25. An ambitious project, led by Loic Serra, the new technical director, who has revolutionized the car concept. Fans are allowed to dream: the goal of this season seems clear—bringing the title back to the Prancing Horse. The first filming day of the season with the new single-seater took place at the home track.
The kilometers granted by the International Federation, at least on paper, for marketing purposes are now used by all F1 teams to gather the first data from the track. The main objective is to validate the data collected in recent days in the simulator, following specific tailor-made programs that the drivers must execute. Push laps alternating with cool-down laps and start tests to acquire as much information as possible—the first data from the sensors installed in the car to recalibrate the simulator and prepare for the imminent tests in Bahrain, after feedback from real conditions.
The first to take to the track was Charles Leclerc, who at 9:20 completed the first two laps, about 6 kilometers, at the wheel of the new single-seater. In the first of the six stints completed, the Monegasque carried out simple installation laps to check that everything was working correctly, that the sensors were providing accurate feedback, and to get his first driving impressions. Before returning to the pits, he performed a start test and then immediately had a briefing with the engineers to decide on the first adjustments. At that point, the mechanics worked on the car to address an issue related to lubricants.
The next three stints, from the second to the fourth, were identical: five laps each, with two push laps in the middle, interspersed with a cooldown lap. Additionally, at the end of each stint, Charles Leclerc carried out a start practice to test the new start dynamics. Overall, the SF-25 appeared to be quite balanced, showing some difficulties only when exiting the hairpin at Turn 7. In this case, the cold temperatures and tires not being up to temperature certainly did not help. Regarding the setup, we know that the team made adjustments to the ride height.
From what could be observed, the Maranello engineers progressively lowered the ride height of the car, which produced more sparks from the rear of the floor as the stints went on. Proportionally, thanks to the increased ground effect, lap times also improved. Although focusing on lap times is pointless, they dropped from the high 58 seconds to the low 57 seconds as the Monegasque driver became more comfortable with the car. Additionally, the Italian team used different engine mappings to test the power unit of the Ferrari more effectively.
To conclude his work, Charles Leclerc completed two different stints of 10 and 6 laps. The 10-lap penultimate stint was used for filming with the dedicated recording car. Furthermore, the Monegasque stopped twice outside the garage for quick discussions with mechanics and engineers—just a few seconds—before setting off again. In the final stint, however, Charles pushed the new Formula 1 car to its limits even further. He did so by using the drag reduction system system on Fiorano’s main straight.
In this way, the Ferrari driver set the best times of the day: two laps in 56.6 seconds, which was manually timed, with a cooldown lap in between to lower tire and car temperatures. Overall, the Monegasque driver completed 34 laps, covering 102 kilometers. In the early afternoon, it was Lewis Hamilton's turn to test the new car on track. His program was largely identical to that of his Maranello teammate. However, in the Briton’s case, additional work was done to familiarize him with the team and its various procedures.
But the key factor, aside from what Charles Leclerc himself revealed regarding the absence of correlation issues between the simulator and track, concerns the setup studies carried out in preparation for next week's pre-season testing session in Sakhir. Of course, Fiorano's track is different from Bahrain's, as are the temperatures. Nevertheless, it was crucial to test the SF-25 with the setup planned for next week. A clear indication of this is the spoon-shaped rear wing, a concept copied from McLaren and highly adaptable.
This specific design concentrates a lot of downforce in the central section while reducing the aerodynamic load towards the edges to minimize drag. Ferrari, therefore, chose to test the Bahrain-spec SF-25 to gather data. This information will be processed in the simulator over the coming days. The goal of this approach is to update the tools within the race operations department, reducing the number of unknown variables once the team arrives at the Middle Eastern circuit. From what we know, the collected feedback has been positive.
The SF-25 has shown an excellent response to setup adjustments, as its setup range is broader than in recent years. This was a key objective for Ferrari, aiming for greater adaptability across the various track layouts on the calendar. Just a few days remain before departure for Sakhir. The team has prepared as thoroughly as possible and will continue its efforts in theoretical simulations. Now, we can only wait for the track to deliver the final verdict. In the meantime, it is important to highlight Ferrari's cautiously optimistic impressions of its first experience with the new car.
Finally, let’s a look at a key area of the Ferrari SF-25 car that we have not analyzed in the previous videos. The rear wing represents a change inspired by the McLaren wing introduced in the final races of the 2024 season. It features a pronounced spoon effect in the central area to concentrate as much downforce as possible there while offloading the outer edges as much as possible. The second flap has also undergone several modifications to further increase the efficiency of the movable device, thereby enhancing the speed delta when the wing is open. In the cockpit area, there is a casing for the mirrors, clearly designed for aerodynamic purposes.
The general idea is to manage the airflow over the sidepods more effectively. Regarding the floor, the latest specification seen in Las Vegas was essentially the first iteration of the 2025 car’s underbody. Ferrari carried out extensive wind tunnel work last summer, varying the materials of the rolling road. The SF-25's floor follows the philosophy of the version introduced in Las Vegas. However, it is expected to feature some modifications in the Venturi channel area, considering the time spent improving the understanding of this particular component.
This effort aims to enhance aero-mechanical interaction once the correct development path has been identified. As previously announced, Ferrari is sticking with the rear pull-rod suspension. Loic Serra only began his work in October when he took charge of the technical group, which is why he did not enforce such a significant change. Ferrari had already invested heavily in the rear suspension last year.
The reasoning was simple: to exploit the advantages of a push-rod layout while maintaining the opposite pull-rod configuration. From a kinematic perspective, the solutions are identical. The main issue with the pull-rod is the lower placement of internal components, which restricts engineers from narrowing the junction between the engine cover and the floor—an area where, ideally, the bodywork would stay very close to the gearbox casing. Ferrari had miniaturized these elements with excellent results, as the pull-rod layout had never been a real limitation.
— see video above —
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