McLaren against Ferrari in 2025 F1 season: same goal, opposite approaches
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McLaren and Ferrari fought for the 2024 Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship until the last race of the season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, when the Italian side unfortunately narrowly missed out on the title; both teams’ hope is to once again compete for that goal in the upcoming Formula 1 campaign. However, the preparation of the two teams for the championship that will start with the Australian Grand Prix, which takes place at the 5.278-kilometre Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit in Melbourne on March 16, has been completely different: let's take a look together.
McLaren's work can be summed up in one word: continuity. After winning the World Championship last year, McLaren decided to change very little for 2025. The drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, were confirmed with full approval; just like the main members of the organization. Andrea Stella's work as team principal has been excellent, and the same can be said about the work done by Zak Brown as chief executive officer.
Also from a technical point of view, the changes made to the car are substantial, but not revolutionary. Last year's project worked, and there was little reason to completely overhaul it. Finally, the approach to the Bahrain pre-season testing session seems to have been as follows, based on recorded times and available onboard footage: once the conditions to make the car perform at the expected level were found, the goal was to push further by extremizing the setup.
At Ferrari, on the other hand, many things have changed compared to a few months ago. The team welcomed, at the end of last year, the new technical director Loic Serra and the new “right-hand man” of team principal Frederic Vasseur, namely Jerome d’Ambrosio. It is also impossible to forget the arrival of seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton and the SF-25 project, which is significantly different from the previous car.
The switch from a push-rod front suspension to a pull-rod suspension represents, most likely, the most significant philosophical change on the entire grid. After all, Frédéric Vasseur has stated it without holding back, pointing out that the new car is 99% new compared to the 2024 version. The question is: was it really necessary to completely overhaul a project that was only 14 points away from winning the Constructors’ Championship? Evidently, for the Maranello team, the answer is yes.
The Ferrari technicians and engineers decided to go all-in for this season, even though the major regulatory revolution coming in 2026 presents another big opportunity, another chance not to be missed. During the three-day pre-season testing session at the Bahrain International Circuit, the drivers were available to the team on the first day, in order to gather as much information as possible to understand the new SF-25. The mission has not been fully completed yet, but significant elements have likely been identified, such as aerodynamic load levels and the windows that compromise the car’s balance.
Ferrari will probably need more time to unlock the car’s maximum potential, but this risk might pay off in the long run, over the course of a 24-race season.
So who will come out on top? On one side, we have McLaren’s approach, focused on continuity. The work done in previous championships has served as the foundation for a season where the goal is to confirm their position at the top. On the other side, we have Ferrari, which has taken significant risks, with the awareness that it can contend for the World Championships if everything goes right. Which of the two approaches will prove to be victorious? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: we are in for a spectacular championship.
— see video above —
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