Ferrari has revealed online the first images of the new car called SF-25 , a name in close continuity with the previous ones. The livery – as expected – is a darker red tone, interrupted by a presence of white which has already returned more cumbersome during 2024 compared to carbon black.
Ferrari’s car has been almost completely rebuilt to change the basic behaviour and improve its operation compared to last season, the deficit in qualifying and in the first stages of the race should have been erased.
The team’s updated simulations with the new aerodynamic load values are in line with expectations. In other words, an increase in performance and efficiency in all operating conditions seems possible. Nevertheless, no one can be complacent.
Rivals have now slept, especially McLaren and Red Bull. There is no reason not to expect a rather tight 2025 world championship in terms of performance. Normally, in the last year of technical regulations, the top teams have achieved significant optimization, albeit after making some mistakes.
Let us remember that the process was also long due to the budget limitations imposed by the financial regulation.
New Technical Director Loic Serra arrived in Maranello four months ago, an established profile with the ability to interpret performance in a very cold manner and without being overwhelmed by great emotions.
Reasonably, the new Rossa cannot be the daughter of his management but rather of the director of aerodynamics Tondi and – in a certain sense – also of the input of Vasseur who covered the role ad interim after Cardile’s farewell.
Nonetheless, the team confirmed that the French engineer has already intervened to develop the interaction work with the new Pirelli compounds and supervise the latest changes. We can expect to see him more present on the track than was the past habit.
The environment is healthy and the team is called to make progress in all areas to avoid going into crisis with pressures (not only for the tyres) as happened in 2024.
Certainly having a less limited car than the previous ones would help, because it would help the engineers not to struggle with a short blanket in terms of operating window. On the other hand, the strong reaction from Monza onwards must give rise to optimism.
There is no reason to think that Ferrari cannot now be more ready for the challenge also through greater attention, at all levels, in conjunction with the arrival of the seven-time world champion.
The Maranello technicians are optimistic that they can provide the drivers with an SF-25 that adapts well to the driving characteristics of the pair of drivers , now rather similar in terms of settings, who favor the front axle to obtain a more decisive entry into corners.
Technically speaking, looking at the values seen in Abu Dhabi, Ferrari finished just a few seconds behind McLaren. This was a race where, according to some engineers, Leclerc could have even won if he had not received a penalty at the start of the weekend.
The track will have to give its verdicts keeping in mind that the F1 championship with 24 races plus 6 sprint races is now a marathon where every resource in the development phase must be managed and calculated without errors.
Also for this reason Ferrari should adopt a different approach from the last seasons with small but constant improvements, from race to race, and not three or four large packages that put at risk the understanding.
The front axle breaks with the past but the short nose remains The SF-25 is equipped with a new inverted tie rod front suspension (Pull rod).
Ferrari’s choice is fundamentally aerodynamic in nature to make better use of the gap under the sidepods and disturb the entry of the floor as little as possible. Unfortunately the floor is not visible but from what we have learned the evolution of the design compared to the end of 2024 has been massive.
The bodywork of the car appears tapered and still has a rear opening , albeit reduced, with a solution more similar to what we saw on the McLaren. Ferrari’s inlets are more squared, which remains “P” shaped with the upper part elongated and with a more particular shape.
The triangle air intake above the driver has remained dry without further increases that increase its flow. Naturally, this increases efficiency because it limits the disturbance of the flows directed towards the rear wing.
Appearances can be deceiving, the dress may seem radically not that changed but the measurements and mechanical geometries are all modified. The rear wing design is also new, with a central V shape.
