Ferrari head into the 2025 season as one of the favourites, tasked with challenging the reigning constructors champions – McLaren. Had it not been for a significant blip between the Spanish and Italian GP last year, Ferrari could have claimed the team’s title with rounds to spare.
However, it took Fred Vasseur’s team a few months to rectify the unexpected problems caused by their mid-season upgrades.
Whilst proving a limiting factor in last year’s success, the Scuderia were optimistic that a productive winter break could put them in contention for both Championships.
Unfortunately for the team, pre-season testing revealed some problems with the SF-25.
Why Ferrari must eliminate any problems on the SF-25 quickly
Of course, it is normal for teams to encounter some problems in testing.
It is essential for the engineers working trackside to ensure they can understand the machinery at their disposal.
Over the three days of pre-season testing, Ferrari managed to get a good understanding of data correlation between the track and factory.
Generally speaking, there is no panic about the SF-25 producing data that is inconsistent with the wind tunnel and simulator. Last year’s baseline has given the Scuderia a good platform to build on for 2025.
With that said, the Maranello-based outfit still encountered some unexpected issues in Bahrain testing.
Not only is Ferrari’s raw performance in question, (with the McLaren MCL39 seemingly enjoying a notable edge) but the SF-25’s handling also created some headaches in Sakhir.
This is an especially critical point for Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, who will be demand a car with a wide operating window as the year commences in Melbourne.
This generation of cars have shown that a small operating window (something Mercedes have consistently suffered) can create very inconsistent results.
Leclerc: Further improvements needed before season opener
Speaking after three days of pre-season running, Leclerc explained that Ferrari are conscious of the McLaren threat:
“As much as testing is all about focusing on ourselves, whenever there is obviously a race run, you always look a little bit at what the others are doing.
“But we don’t know the conditions they [McLaren] are running. So it’s a first glimpse of what we can expect, but there are lots of unknowns still.
“So we need to take this with a pinch of salt.
“However, it was a really, really important run to understand where we are lacking compared to them – but also compared to my own feeling.”
Unlike McLaren, Fred Vasseur’s team are incorporating a new driver into their ranks.
Ensuring that the SF-25 behaves predictably is essential if Lewis Hamilton is to perform at his best.
This puts a significant burden on Charles Leclerc, whose experience at Maranello will be essential for Ferrari to progress as 2025 develops.
At least for now, the Monegasque believes progress is necessary if the team want to contend for the Championship:
“As I’ve been saying quite a few times, we still have quite a bit of work to be ready for Melbourne.
“So that’s what we are trying to find and work for with Lewis.”
With the Australian GP weekend just days away, Ferrari will soon have their first concrete aspirations about their winter development and title chances this season.
