The Ferrari automobile that Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will pilot in 2025 is ready to be a radical departure from the SF-24 used through the 2024 Formulation 1 season.
One of the vital important adjustments, lengthy anticipated, is the shift from push-rod suspension on the entrance to pull-rod suspension. This modification necessitates an entire redesign of the entrance chassis. On the rear, the pull-rod suspension will probably be retained, however the kinematics of the rear will endure additional changes, with the gearbox anticipated to be shortened but once more.
One other notable alteration from the 2024 automobile, which completed second to McLaren within the Constructors’ Championship, entails the sidepod air inlets. These are anticipated to be repositioned and contracted to counteract air turbulence attributable to the entrance wheels.
In 2024, Ferrari demonstrated exceptional progress, second solely to McLaren. The SF-24 offered a dependable platform that aligned with the workforce’s intention for higher competitiveness in race situations in comparison with its predecessor, the SF-23. The SF-24, whereas showing as a profound evolution of the SF-23, featured in depth hidden adjustments. These included lengthening the gasoline tank space and shortening the gearbox by roughly 5cm.
Regardless of sustaining the identical wheelbase, Ferrari managed to regulate the automobile’s weight distribution inside regulatory limits. This had a major impression on load switch administration and automobile dynamics by way of the suspension system. Though the suspension structure remained the identical, the interior kinematics and positioning of parts have been revised. The outcomes confirmed that the mixing between automobile dynamics and aerodynamics was successful.
Nonetheless, this success encountered challenges when Ferrari launched an bold improve in Spain. The first purpose of this improve was to boost floor-generated downforce whereas concurrently decreasing drag by way of numerous wing configurations. Regardless of its theoretical promise, the improve proved to be a double-edged sword. It reintroduced porpoising, which made the automobile tough to deal with, diminished efficiency, and elevated tire degradation.
The elemental situation lay in integrating the improve right into a platform that already excelled in dynamic stability however had restricted potential for additional improvement. The improve generated larger aerodynamic masses however altered how these masses have been distributed throughout the ground, diverging from the automobile’s unique configuration. This imbalance undermined the synergy between aerodynamics and automobile dynamics.
A side-by-side comparability of the automobile’s Bahrain and Abu Dhabi configurations highlights the evolution all through the season. Modifications prolonged past the sidepod inlets and low-profile design; the central bodywork and cooling vents additionally underwent important modifications.
For the season finale, Ferrari opted to not use the experimental ground examined by Charles Leclerc in Qatar on the Lusail Worldwide Circuit. Though it didn’t yield a decisive efficiency benefit, it served as a preview of the ground design supposed for the 2025 automobile, providing a glimpse into the improvements Ferrari goals to deliver into the brand new Formulation 1 season.
Purchase official Ferrari F1 merchandise!
Let different Scuderia Followers find out about us
