Ferrari working on three distinct F1 projects but goal is to have a 2025 championship-winning car
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John Elkann, in a now-famous interview for the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport during the 2022 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, predicted that Ferrari would win the Formula 1 championship in 2026, linking this hope to the rule and regulation changes in F1 that should reset the competitive balance in two years’ time. This outlook follows a promise made in Monza to the sports daily: "I am confident that by 2026 Ferrari will win both a Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championship, with Charles Leclerc leading the charge. We will achieve this before 20 years of drought, given that our last Drivers' Championship was in 2007 and the Constructors' in 2008." – this was the exact statement of the Ferrari president two years ago.
Will Ferrari fans have to wait another two years before hoping to return to the top of Formula 1? The fans' hope, of course, is to shorten this wait, and perhaps some are underestimating the work being done by the Ferrari Racing Department to prepare for the 2025 championship.
In recent days, we have talked about the fact that Ferrari is simultaneously working on three distinct projects: the final evolution of the SF-24 single-seater, which will debut next weekend at the 5.513-kilometre Circuit of The Americas in Austin for the United States Grand Prix, as the tightly contested championship resumes after a month-long break for the final stretch with six races remaining.
In parallel, project 677, the 2025 car for Lewis Hamilton, is being developed and is already at an advanced stage of development. Finally, the study of the 2026 Formula 1 car will become fully operational starting January 1st.
The hope is that the “more flexible” wings will immediately bring Ferrari back to victory after the splendid win in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza with Charles Leclerc. Unfortunately, this success was not followed by equally joyful results at the Baku City Circuit in Azerbaijan and at the Marina Bay street circuit in Singapore, where the Maranello team had a lot more ambitions but collected far fewer points than expected due to various circumstances.
But alongside a "wasteful" Ferrari, there is also a team that has been able to react to the summer difficulties with great responsiveness, giving the impression of having found the right path in terms of development. In the meantime, we have witnessed the resignation of Italian aerodynamicist Enrico Cardile and we can say that the departure of the former technical director has not been well received in Maranello, so much so that it is still unclear when he will join Aston Martin and the arrival of Loic Serra, the former Mercedes engineer so eagerly pursued by Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur.
The transition at the top of the technical department could have had negative effects, but the cohesive group of Italian engineers rallied together, even gifting the team principal a success in his interim role as technical director.
For intellectual honesty, it is right to remember that the 677 is a project born from choices still made by former technical director Enrico Cardile: drawing heavily from the 2024 budget, the 2025 Ferrari will be a car with no direct connection to the SF-24. The chassis, developed by Fabio Montecchi's technical staff, will be a new design, with the driver sitting further back in the cockpit compared to today.
The front suspension will break with the classic push-rod design, moving towards a pull-rod solution, which won't offer significant mechanical advantages but will ensure more options from an aerodynamic point of view, following concepts that Red Bull and, especially, McLaren have successfully adopted.
The third major change is the gearbox housing: the transmission will be shorter to move the engine further back and redefine the weight distribution in a way that should favor a broader tire usage window and allow Diego Tondi's aerodynamic team to design a diffuser that generates downforce but is less sensitive to bouncing.
If we think Ferrari is heading to Austin to confirm its competitiveness, one might wonder why the team should wait until 2026 to aim for the Formula 1 championship? The Maranello team will be able to fully exploit regulatory stability, extracting the maximum potential from the 677. The Italian side will also benefit from the enthusiasm that will be unleashed by Lewis Hamilton's arrival, as the seven-time world champion brings with him not only extraordinary talent but also a wealth of experience, having seen it all, and knowing that time is of the essence – it's better not to wait too long for the coveted eighth title. And at Ferrari, having been given free rein, they will want to prove they can meet Lewis Hamilton's demands.
It's no coincidence that Frederic Vasseur, which was present at the recent Trento Sports Festival In Italy, admitted that Lewis Hamilton is a driver who prioritizes performance guarantees, and this aspect is always crucial for him. According to the French manager, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion’s decision to join Ferrari confirmed his belief that they are capable of providing the right car. Frederic Vasseur also expressed confidence that they are at the right stage in terms of performance but emphasized the need for further progress, while also adding that Ferrari is dedicating significant resources to their next project.
The last sentence is telling: Ferrari is making its maximum effort to ensure a competitive car for the 2025 Formula 1 championship. And Charles Leclerc should finally have in his hands the championship car he's been waiting for since arriving at Maranello. Of course, McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes won't just sit back and do nothing, but Ferrari must immediately seize the opportunity to break the drought that has lasted since 2008. Loic Serra, a very pragmatic and attentive man, is aware of all this and will oversee the development of project 677 without revolutionizing a car that is already well advanced.
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has a great opportunity to bring glory to his leadership: to try and win in 2025, without waiting for 2026, which is still full of uncertainties even at the regulatory level. In the hope that Ferrari will indeed be able to position itself as a title contender for next year.
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