Why Ferrari SF-25 tech characteristic may undermine one of Charles Leclerc's key strengths
Yesterday at 03:57 PM
The 2025 Formula 1 season is almost upon us, and all eyes will be on Ferrari as the paddock heads to Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton will make his much-anticipated debut with the Scuderia, aiming to emulate the success of past champions like Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso, who secured victory in their first races with Ferrari. However, amidst the excitement surrounding Hamilton’s arrival, Charles Leclerc's performance may go under the radar, despite his outstanding end to the 2024 season.
Charles Leclerc finished the 2024 Formula 1 campaign on a high note, arguably matching or even outperforming the likes of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. His triumphs in Monaco and Monza, in front of passionate home crowds, were standout moments of the year, and his display in Abu Dhabi earned widespread praise. However, Ferrari's poor decision to introduce a major update package at the Spanish Grand Prix ultimately led to the Maranello team's failure to secure the constructors' championship.
Looking ahead to the 2025 F1 season, Ferrari has made significant changes to their car with hopes of overcoming McLaren and capturing their first championship since 2008. The addition of Lewis Hamilton in place of Carlos Sainz requires Ferrari to adjust their car setup to maximize the British driver’s strengths, but these changes could come at a cost for Charles Leclerc.
The Italian version of the Motorsport website reports that Ferrari has made adjustments that may negatively impact Charles Leclerc's strengths. After three days of testing, one major concern raised by the team was the unexpected difficulty with cornering. The Monegasque driver’s tense expression at the end of the pre-season testing in Bahrain stood in stark contrast to the optimism Hamilton exhibited during his media duties. This situation raises concerns about how Ferrari's adjustments for Lewis Hamilton's driving style could undermine Leclerc's performance in the upcoming season.
With the 2025 Formula 1 championship fast approaching, Ferrari will need to find the right balance between optimizing their car for Lewis Hamilton while ensuring the Monegasque remains competitive. The challenges faced during testing could have far-reaching implications for both drivers and the team's championship aspirations. The 27-year-old mentioned to the media that he would wait a little longer before making a comment. He explained that, for the moment, they were working hard to improve the balance, as they had struggled a bit over the past two days. He added that they would see how things went in Melbourne.
While the SF-25 may not yet be flawless, it seems that the solution lies in fine-tuning the car rather than starting from scratch. Despite this, Leclerc has expressed feeling ‘limited’ by the car’s inability to brake as late as he would prefer into corners, a limitation that has diminished one of his most formidable strengths.
To address these issues, the Maranello team has planned simulator sessions for both drivers this week, with the goal of identifying solutions. These sessions will focus on fine-tuning the car's new pull-rod suspension and resolving the balance issues caused by shifting the car's mass toward the rear.
Ralf Schumacher has shown his support for Charles Leclerc, backing him to outperform Lewis Hamilton this season. Despite the fact that Ferrari's 2025 car lacks some drivability at the moment, the changes made to the car are significant, meaning Ferrari may not have fully grasped its characteristics prior to arriving in Bahrain.
The unusually low temperatures at the Bahrain International Circuit didn't help any of the teams, making the upcoming three practice sessions in Australia even more critical than initially anticipated.
The Monegasque driver must leverage his experience with Ferrari to gain an early advantage over Lewis Hamilton. While his one-lap pace has been nearly unbeatable over the past two seasons, Hamilton's consistency and race-day performance could enable him to accumulate more points.
Schumacher believes that Charles Leclerc has the upper hand heading into this season, but he also notes that the championship could come down to the smallest of margins. If Leclerc is unable to improve his understanding of the SF-25's cornering capabilities, he might find himself at a disadvantage early in the season, when he should ideally be in control of his new teammate.
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