Greater than a 3rd of the 2025 System 1 season is now behind us, and the present championship is getting into an important part—necessary not just for this yr’s outcomes but additionally for what lies forward. A transparent instance is Ferrari, a group going through key selections within the coming weeks: whether or not to proceed believing within the SF-25 and its potential or to start specializing in 2026. The upcoming races, reminiscent of Austria and Britain, shall be decisive in shaping the Italian group’s route. Among the many challenges of 2025, which the engineers at GeS try to deal with with a brand new rear suspension anticipated to debut in early summer season, reliability points linked to the ability unit appear to have triggered further concern alongside the dearth of pace. This suspension is aimed toward resolving a part of the automotive’s weaknesses by unlocking the bundle’s potential, which presently can’t emerge because of mechanical limitations brought on by the present suspension format.
Extra issues?
As beforehand reported completely throughout the Jeddah weekend, Ferrari’s engine division had changed the ability models of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton as a precaution after seeing troubling information, anticipating a change initially scheduled for Miami. In Florida, Ferrari clients like Haas and Stake skilled structural failures within the energy unit—just like what occurred to Esteban Ocon at Imola. And it was at Imola the place a group member informally confirmed these considerations when requested whether or not there was confidence in engine sturdiness. The person didn’t reply calmly or reassuringly, as an alternative selecting to keep away from the query and place hope in future enhancements.
Moreover, as we additionally reported completely, Ferrari seems to have determined to cut back the mileage of its energy models to protect reliability, whereas working—if potential—on a repair. This transfer, although it doesn’t have an effect on engine efficiency, might end in grid penalties for Ferrari and its buyer groups earlier than the tip of the season, as they might be unable to complete the yr inside the 4 models allowed by the FIA.
Between hope and (some) admission…
A brand new headache, then, for the Italian aspect, which additionally appears to have confronted bother in Spain, the place till the arrival of the Security Automotive, the SF-25s had been operating easily. After the restart, nevertheless—regardless of Charles Leclerc’s assault on Max Verstappen and a theoretically higher tempo due to more energizing tyres—the Monegasque by no means managed to drag away from the automobiles behind and crossed the road in a decent pack after his tempo collapsed within the closing laps. An identical state of affairs affected Lewis Hamilton, who, regardless of being sooner than his teammate within the second stint, pale after the Security Automotive and was even overtaken by Nico Hulkenberg’s Stake. Briefly, an entire blackout for Ferrari, which doubtless has its roots in technical—or extra exactly, engine-related—points on each automobiles.
This situation appears possible not solely because of gathered info but additionally due to hints dropped by group principal Fred Vasseur, who confirmed points with the automobiles throughout the post-race press convention.
“We had an issue on the automotive within the closing stint. We had points on each automobiles, however they weren’t oil-related (Toto Wolff had mentioned he noticed a leak from Charles Leclerc’s automotive). I don’t know the place it was coming from, perhaps from the automotive behind. However that’s not the problem we had.” – the French supervisor identified on the finish of the Spanish Grand Prix.