https://autoracer.it/it/ferrari-sf25-ba ... c-hamilton
The new "Red" has yet to fully reveal its hand; no one quite knows what to expect in its battle against McLaren. Leclerc has already been burned and remains extremely cautious in his predictions, while Hamilton has yet to complete his final race simulation. After three days of testing in Bahrain, it would be inaccurate to say that the SF-25 has fully convinced spectators and experts alike. Once on track, the new car showed potential but remains a work in progress. In Maranello, they speak of "settings to be calibrated." Beyond outright performance—any real verdict on which is reserved for March 16—the Bahrain tests have left some doubts about the SF-25’s firepower.
Red Bull has been somewhat disappointed with its own tests and sees Ferrari as the closest rival to McLaren—a sign, according to its French technical director, that the SF-25 has been hiding its true potential more than others. The reigning Constructors’ Champions have taken a risk with the MCL39 in an effort to make the championship a one-sided affair, yet they admit: "We don’t trust Ferrari at all."
Ferrari’s engineers are now analyzing the data gathered during the three days of testing in Sakhir. At no point was the Bahrain program designed to chase outright performance, apart from a few targeted glimpses. The team’s reluctance to show its full potential is supported by data and a testing program focused on understanding the car’s mechanical platform—how it reacts to setup changes and tire management.
The car performed largely as they expected, with a "stronger" front end, though still needing optimization due to an inverted pull-rod suspension that demands greater mechanical understanding. This factor has also affected braking behavior, which has changed, directly or indirectly. Despite some lingering questions, Ferrari is approaching its challenges with caution, treating them as "growing pains."
Aerodynamic data from Bahrain does not indicate any correlation issues, and reports suggest that nothing anomalous has emerged from winter wind tunnel work. The car was built with a major redistribution of weight, including a shortened gearbox casing to shift weight balance forward. Such a radical change inevitably alters reference points compared to last season.
Leclerc and Hamilton are currently in Maranello for three days of simulator work aimed at fine-tuning their understanding of the car ahead of Australia.
The car’s aerodynamic setup will remain largely unchanged, with the new-generation rear wing—featuring a more pronounced "spoon" shape—serving as a cornerstone of a broader configuration likely to be used frequently on medium-downforce circuits.
