At slightly below 19 years previous, Andrea Kimi Antonelli achieved his first profession pole, setting a brand new document within the collection because the youngest pole sitter ever. This pole got here after a number of “struggling” GPs linked to an expertise he had final yr in F1. After one other lackluster efficiency from Ferrari within the Dash Qualifying, Antonelli shone within the telemetry and lit up the afternoon in Miami.
Within the early 2025 season, Antonelli didn’t stand out in qualifying regardless of his potential being praised by many within the paddock. After the incident in FP1 on the 2024 Monza GP, the 18-year-old from Bologna saved a low profile, not absolutely understanding the optimum window for Pirelli F1 tyres. Nonetheless, the Miami weekend showcased important progress in each the automobile and the Italian expertise, particularly on a monitor he had by no means raced on earlier than.
Telemetry: The Element Behind Antonelli’s Dash Pole in Miami
The hole between Antonelli and Piastri was minimal, with simply 50 milliseconds separating the Mercedes and McLaren drivers. Till the seventeenth sector, McLaren had led, adopted by Purple Bull (Verstappen), Mercedes, and Ferrari. Nonetheless, the script was utterly flipped within the remaining meters of the lap, with the younger Italian rookie overtaking everybody.
The evolution of the lap confirmed a great steadiness between Kimi Antonelli and Oscar Piastri, whereas Charles Leclerc’s lap mirrored the quite a few points plaguing the SF-25. Within the telemetry comparability, the W16 and MCL39 have been neck and neck midway via the lap, with Antonelli aggressively attacking the sluggish part, gaining nearly a tenth on Piastri.
Regardless of this, the MCL39’s lengthy vary allowed Piastri to make up about three tenths, shifting forward when it comes to lap time. Nonetheless, the exit from Flip 16 wasn’t optimum, and Oscar Piastri misplaced slightly below a tenth, with Antonelli closing in. The hole elevated when all three approached the braking zone for Flip 17, the place Oscar Piastri had a 320 millisecond benefit. This highlighted the distinction in braking approaches, with Antonelli selecting to brake earlier, which allowed him to completely arrange the exit.
Ferrari: The Structural Problem That’s Nearly Unattainable to Repair
The SF-25 as soon as once more confirmed the most important limitations of its “quick blanket,” performing nicely in high-speed corners however struggling within the sluggish ones, or vice versa. A automobile that, after the Australian race, has changed into a worse model of the SF-23.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton’s automobile is presently coping with a rear finish that’s too mild and weak, considerably limiting the entrance finish. This problem was identified first by us, and now everyone seems to be reporting it. The rear, if absolutely utilized, ought to permit the SF-25 to compete with the MCL39.
Nonetheless, based mostly on what occurred within the Miami Dash Qualifying, Ferrari did nicely, at the least with Leclerc, within the sooner sections and the tougher braking zones. But, it’s exactly from the tougher braking zones that the boundaries imposed by the problematic rear suspension are obvious. Traction, which was one in all Ferrari’s strengths final yr, appears to have disappeared with the SF-25.
The minimal squat wanted for higher traction is lacking, inflicting Leclerc to make a mistake in acceleration towards Flip 2, the place a small snap elevated his hole.
In brief, a rear suspension that acts up and is about in a “picket board” mode will make the SF-25 unpredictable and troublesome to drive. The arrival of updates is extra pressing than ever, at the least to grasp whether or not we should always despair for an additional “we’ll win subsequent yr” or one thing else.
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