After narrowly lacking the Constructors’ Championship this season, Scuderia Ferrari is aiming for the massive prize in 2025. The 2024 automotive initiated a conceptual revolution by altering Maranello’s design strategy, a change too vital to be accomplished in only one yr. The 2025 Ferrari will full this metamorphosis with new options designed to deal with the weak factors of the already spectacular SF-24.
Completely different in form however, above all, in conduct, the 2024 Ferrari single-seater marks a break from the previous. From the bodywork to cooling and suspension programs, the SF-24 automotive’s geometries are tailor-made to a brand new manner of engaged on observe. This leads to a steadiness totally different from earlier Ferraris, with a spotlight completely on drivability. “We wished to cut back lap occasions by delivering a automotive that’s higher to drive and sturdy in any wind and asphalt temperature situation,” defined former technical director Enrico Cardile throughout the presentation again in February – “Drivability was improved by prioritizing sure aerodynamic elements over others.”
The revolution’s roots date again to the 2023 System 1 season, when the Maranello crew undertook intensive evaluation to translate drivability into numerical objectives, rethinking the aerodynamic map. With this new course, Ferrari seeks to shed the traits typical of the 2023 automotive and people predating ground-effect rules—automobiles with nice peak efficiency however restricted to a slim vary of circumstances, often solely achievable with new tires within the qualifying session. The result’s a extra predictable automotive, simpler to develop and perceive for drivers, who can now push it to the restrict with out extreme corrections, preserving the tires higher over lengthy distances.
This represents a broader working window, which, as Frederic Vasseur famous, simplifies setup work: “That is the most important step ahead in comparison with final yr—not that it’s a simple automotive to deal with, but it surely permits us to succeed in an excellent setup compromise for the weekend extra shortly.” If Ferrari was in a position to take the battle to McLaren for the 2024 F1 title till the final lap of the ultimate race, it was because of this robust execution, constantly extracting the utmost from the automotive in each driving and setup.
The qualifying compromise
The idea Ferrari is pursuing aligns with Frederic Vasseur’s pointers, selling a race-oriented strategy over one targeted on single-lap efficiency. The SF-24 is simpler over lengthy distances, a high quality partially derived from its aerodynamics. Floor-effect automobiles are extraordinarily delicate to experience peak, which modifications considerably with gasoline load and cornering speeds, that are increased in qualifying. Maranello’s aerodynamicists have shifted the compromise towards race efficiency, growing a balanced automotive that’s higher than McLaren early on and quicker than Purple Bull within the closing levels. Nonetheless, the tightening of the sphere calls for higher qualifying efficiency for 2025. A robust race tempo turns into troublesome to use when ranging from behind, particularly given the rising aerodynamic disruption confronted by trailing automobiles as aerodynamics turn out to be extra complicated.
The steadiness between qualifying and race efficiency additionally pertains to tire administration. The SF-24 is especially light on tires, with good administration of entrance graining and wonderful management of rear degradation, particularly within the closing laps on softer compounds. By transferring much less power to the tires in 2024, Ferrari has been in a position to restrict overheating, gaining competitiveness as ambient temperatures rise. Nonetheless, this compromises the flexibility to shortly convey the tires as much as temperature within the opening laps and extract peak grip, contributing to weaker single-lap efficiency. Ferrari will goal to deal with this within the 2025 System 1 marketing campaign by engaged on suspension geometries and mechanics. These measures will probably be important to adapt to new tires, which Pirelli has developed with increased working temperatures in thoughts.
Regardless of its renewal, the 2024 Ferrari automotive continues to hold a power weak spot that has plagued the Scuderia over the previous 5 years. “Our primary drawback is medium-slow mixed corners,” Carlos Sainz acknowledged mid-season, echoing Charles Leclerc’s observations. For years, Ferrari has struggled with instability throughout the lengthy phases of medium-speed corners, a power of rival McLaren. This concern partly explains Maranello’s recurring mid-season decline on the sweeping turns of European circuits. It’s a flaw that predates the ground-effect rules, signaling a selected improvement strategy Ferrari is now making an attempt to appropriate.
The brand new ground, examined from Las Vegas onward, represents a robust assertion of intent on this regard. Charles Leclerc described it as “a special strategy,” which, in comparison with the earlier idea, “is excellent in some areas and worse in others.” Ferrari goals to enhance its conduct in high-speed sections, the place the automotive skims the bottom, and in slower, longer corners, the place large steering angles and yaw expose the ground to wheel turbulence. To realize this, Ferrari might should sacrifice a few of its present strengths, corresponding to agility in 90° gradual corners typical of road circuits, in change for a greater general steadiness.
It is a long-term undertaking that can’t be accomplished inside a single System 1 season. The updates delivered to the SF-24 deal with different areas, corresponding to high-speed corners with the Imola package deal or front-end load with the Singapore wing. “Even when the updates work, there are some traits you may’t remedy with easy improvement,” Carlos Sainz summarized. The revolution Ferrari has begun spans two years, with the aim of addressing instability in cornering and different remaining shortcomings by 2025.
The SF-24’s evolution couldn’t be accomplished in a single yr. Redesigning a totally totally different automotive in such a short while was unattainable, requiring sure fastened factors amidst the various variables launched on the 2024 Ferrari. Notable modifications embody abandoning the wide-body idea in favor of slimmer sidepods to enhance airflow high quality towards the diffuser. This shift required new methods for managing turbulence. The implications prolong to the chassis, which wanted extra complicated geometries to accommodate cumbersome digital elements and carve out the narrower sidepod form.
The SF-24 additionally options vital modifications to the rear, introducing a brand new suspension idea partially built-in into the gearbox. “It’s a brand new idea, an innovation for us as a result of it’s a special manner of managing the suspension in comparison with what we’ve achieved previously,” defined Enrico Cardile at that second. Ferrari’s confidence in not conforming to the competitors is commendable, because it stays devoted to the rear pull-rod suspension, reinterpreted with a special perspective. Ferrari’s robust performances at Monaco and Baku are partly because of this suspension, which, in balancing airflow administration, preserves mechanical conduct over bumps.
Given the quite a few modifications carried out on the SF-24, Ferrari needed to defer some modifications to 2025. As an example, the 2024 entrance suspension continues the earlier setup, leaving questions on whether or not the following automotive will discover totally different geometries, together with the pull-rod/push-rod scheme and anti-dive kinematics. The primary Ferrari pushed by Lewis Hamilton will inherit traits from the automotive that got here near the Constructors’ Championship however will even introduce new options to finish the conceptual shift.
In Abu Dhabi, Charles Leclerc summed up the troubles of Ferrari followers for the upcoming yr: “There are lots of examples the place we completed a season strongly, solely to battle at first of the following one.” Up to now, Ferrari’s pursuit of most efficiency has undermined the steadiness of the next automotive, depriving the crew of the consistency wanted to battle for titles. This time, nevertheless, drivability is the cornerstone of Ferrari’s new idea, carried out throughout this transitional biennium. The appointment of Loic Serra as Chassis Technical Director aligns with Maranello’s new design philosophy. Loic Serra’s experience in car dynamics will assist channel aerodynamic work towards stability, steadiness, and flexibility.
The 2025 Ferrari will thus full the revolution begun in 2024 whereas additionally defining the strategy the Maranello crew will take underneath the 2026 rules.
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