The fourth round of the season will see the first update package for Ferrari this year. The Scuderia’s start to 2025 has been disappointing compared to their strong end to the 2024 championship.
Now the goal is to quickly get back on track and confirm the SF-25 has potential for mid-season improvement. Solving the problems currently limiting the performance of the SF-25, which has lost ground to McLaren, is a priority.
Here is what was announced about the SF-25: The floor has undergone a 360-degree update.
In the Bahrain paddock, the Ferrari SF-25 will certainly one of the cars under scrutiny. It will be equipped with a new floor which, as confirmed by Lewis Hamilton, should increase the aerodynamic load currently available on his car.
At the same time, Charles Leclerc specified that the updates are unlikely to fill the gap of 3-4 tenths to McLaren – “But they are a big step forward”.
As anticipated, the changes concern the floor as a whole, with changes from the Venturi channels to the rear diffuser. Lewis Hamilton’s is already equipped with the new component.
The new floor significantly differentiates it from the old specification mounted on Charles Leclerc’s car. This old spec floor will be driven by Dino Beganovic during FP1.
Although seeing the Venturi Channels clearly is difficult, a modification to the central fin is noticeable. The newest specification sees the fin protrude beyond the upper edge of the bottom.
There are also clear changes to the steps of the “outer-fence”. This tends to protect the entrance to the Venturi Channels from the harmful turbulence of the front tyres.
Meanwhile, the rear part no longer featuring the knurled design of the beginning of the season. The design of the first part of the pavement is completely different, coming closer to the solutions used by the top teams.
In fact, the raised lip of the pavement and the combs that throw away the flow have been revised, the elements that generate the vortices have now become three. The part of the lip furthest back towards the rear area of the floor edge wing has also been lengthened.
In the area of the monopylon, where a modification of the contour was expected, it is possible to see a new aerodynamic appendage , placed at the base of the structure, on the sides of the exhaust to be clear, which will evidently influence the hot air coming out of the engine hood and that conducted downwards by the tray and directed towards the upper part of the diffuser and the beam wing.
A refinement modification compared to a wing that Ferrari had already positioned last year on the monopylon at the Australian GP.
The diffuser of the SF-25 has been completely redesigned and, as expected, is the area most retouched by this package of updates.
The shape of the keel is in fact significantly different, with smaller dimensions compared to the ‘basic’ version that was taken to the track in the pre-season tests in Bahrain and which here undergoes a first and truly important modification.
As anticipated, a new brake cooling intake will also be declared in the rear area. The first free practice session will clearly be dedicated to data collection and the study of new features, with Dino Beganovic who will drive the standard version of the SF-25, while Lewis Hamilton will debut the new features.
The first package of new features is important, as suggested by the drivers, to try to reduce the gap from the leading car – in this case McLaren.
Ferrari’s upgrades are also key to determine the development plan for the rest of the season. The technicians led by Loic Serra and Diego Tondi who are already working on a second important package.
However, this next phase will only be validated and approved after collecting data in Bahrain and the next GPs.
