Ferrari SF-25 project: why team is confident technical choices for new car will accelerate development

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The most important work on the new Ferrari is the one that cannot be seen. The Maranello team has heavily focused on the mechanical aspects of the SF-25, reorganizing internal packaging to free up space for the aerodynamics department. Despite the many changes, technical director Loic Serra is not worried that the team will require a longer learning period than its rivals to understand how to exploit the new car. On the contrary, the modifications aim to accelerate the car's growth with planned updates.

The work beneath the surface
"The main goal of the SF-25 project was to free up space to push development, both aerodynamically and overall," explains Loic Serra. "The SF-24 was quite competitive at the end of the season, but updating and finding performance was becoming increasingly difficult, so we had to create space to accelerate the development pace." Ferrari's approach mirrors what Andrea Stella described for McLaren, starting with an optimization of the car's architecture to allow greater room for aerodynamic interventions.

The work has affected the entire car, as Loic Serra explains: "On these cars, everything is so optimized that when you move one component, you then have to shift everything else. You can't say that the main difficulty was with the front suspension or elsewhere. In reality, when you start changing something, it sets off a chain reaction that leads to changing everything. I would say the biggest challenge was in the overall compromise."

The new Ferrari features a driving position moved back by a couple of centimeters, combined with a slightly longer wheelbase, as confirmed by Loic Serra: "There are small updates in that area, but they are really minimal and not the driving force behind the project." One of the standout changes in the SF-25 is the switch to a pull-rod front suspension, but the significant slimming of the sidepods is also notable, indicating a more compact radiator and internal components despite the reduced space caused by the cockpit repositioning. The French engineer continues: "On these cars, the devil is in the details. We all talk about the front suspension because it is the visible tip of the iceberg. However, most of the parts on the car are new, and it's not necessarily the most visible ones that have the biggest impact."

Evolution, not revolution
The inversion of the SF-25's front suspension raises the question of whether the team will require a learning period, such as adjusting setup choices to control the floor's ride height. However, Loic Serra reassures: "The car is a continuation of the previous one. We have changed many components—most of them—but in terms of performance, the general concept remains the same. That's why I don't expect a steeper learning curve than last year."

The new Ferrari evolves past design concepts, aiming for greater stability in medium-to-high-speed and long-radius corners. Beyond that, however, the SF-25 will operate similarly to its predecessor, such as optimizing floor aerodynamics for race conditions with a full fuel load. The new technical director does not foresee a particularly long learning period and instead believes that the space freed up around the chassis and bodywork will yield greater gains with updates: "The hope is that the development pace will be faster than at the end of last season, but I don't necessarily expect the car to be managed differently."

Looking ahead to 2026
The ongoing development work in Maranello is not solely focused on updates for the SF-25, as the team must also push forward with the 2026 project. "The 2025 season will be quite challenging," admits Loic Serra. "We will have to develop two cars, two very different animals, in the same year. The 2026 regulations are quite different because they affect the engine, chassis, and even the tires. It will be a huge challenge. We have an SF-25 where every millisecond will count, while for the 2026 car, we have a blank sheet with a very steep development curve. Balancing work between the two projects will be very difficult."

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