The time to push has arrived: Ferrari must step up in F1 2025—and do it fast. Updates are needed to fix specific issues and unlock the car’s full potential. A performance boost is crucial if Ferrari wants to close the gap to the ultra-competitive McLaren and start fighting for podiums and victories over the course of a race weekend. The same goes for competing with Red Bull and Mercedes.
A crucial evaluation of the updates
Ferrari is preparing a major update package for Imola. Two critical turning points are expected in the coming month—one being the Spanish Grand Prix, which will introduce new regulations on flexible wings, a topic to be explored in detail later. This could narrow the performance gap and potentially force McLaren to take a step back, as the FIA directive may limit the British team’s wide operating window.
At Imola, both Ferrari and Red Bull will introduce significant updates to address the shortcomings of their respective cars. Ferrari won’t debut the updates in Miami due to the sprint weekend format, which allows for just one free practice session—too short a window to properly test and validate new components.
Validating updates on track is a complex process. Many factors involved can’t be replicated in the wind tunnel, making on-track data collection essential to determine whether the changes truly deliver.
Slimmer sidepods and new floor spec for Imola
Focusing on what Ferrari will bring to Imola, the first visible change will be a reworked sidepod area, expected to be slimmer. This update is part of the team’s pre-planned winter development strategy—essentially a natural evolution of the SF-25 over the season.
In terms of top speed, the SF-25 isn’t bad, but it still needs improvement to keep up with the rapid evolution of its rivals. Additionally, another updated floor is expected—not to replace the previous version outright, but to make necessary refinements.
The floor is a critical component, especially on ground-effect cars like the SF-25, which has shown excessive sensitivity across various speed ranges. It often doesn’t generate the expected levels of downforce—an area Ferrari must address, as they currently lag behind other top teams in total downforce output.
What Ferrari needs to catch McLaren
Handling instability is another issue troubling Ferrari’s drivers, particularly Lewis Hamilton, who has struggled to adapt. Even Charles Leclerc admitted that the car’s vertical load is lacking and must be improved aerodynamically.
Leclerc is confident that matching McLaren and Red Bull in downforce would significantly close the performance gap. In F1, eliminating weaknesses that limit a car’s pure pace is essential, and opportunities still exist—nothing is lost yet for Ferrari’s 2025 campaign.
The revised floor must deliver more downforce and distribute it better. The first version, introduced in Bahrain, was a step in the right direction, but not enough—as shown in Jeddah. That said, the SF-25 has strengths too, such as good tire degradation management, inherited from its predecessor. This wasn’t fully visible early in the season due to extreme forced setups.
Tire performance still needs improvement, particularly in thermal cycling and qualifying pace. Better qualifying performance is crucial, as overtaking remains difficult due to turbulent air.
Ferrari is gambling a lot on what happens in May, which could define their season.
Potential delay in the update package
A final note: there’s speculation—still unconfirmed—that Ferrari might delay their update package further. The reason? To allow more development time and test it under the new directive in Spain, which could shift the balance of power significantly.
We’ll have to wait until next week to know for sure.
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