Seanspeed wrote: ↑29 Apr 2025, 14:57
ringo wrote: ↑28 Apr 2025, 16:19
Space-heat wrote: ↑28 Apr 2025, 10:27
Interesting parts from Rosario Giuliana at the Race (AR):
Upgrades:
"Sources suggest Ferrari won’t bring any significant update packages to the next two races at Miami and Imola."
Confirmation the Bahrain floor was planned before season and not to fix Ride Height:
"In Bahrain a fortnight ago, Ferrari introduced its first upgrade package of the year, headlined by a new floor.
The goal was greater aerodynamic efficiency and improved high-speed downforce. While the changes helped, they weren’t designed to fix the SF-25’s rear-end instability - a trait described as a 'lazy' rear end that first emerged in round one.
Notably, the Bahrain package had already been in the works before the season began, forming part of a pre-established development trajectory rather than a direct response to early-season struggles."
Some greater speculation later in the article:
"The Bahrain updates have done little to fully cure the car's fundamental weaknesses. Part of the issue appears mechanical - likely involving suspension geometry and weight distribution...The aim is to develop a new floor that maintains downforce at greater ride heights."
I hope the later is not true as if we can't run low, we won't challenge, so you might as well pivot away to 26'.
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/ferr ... must-stop/
That's actually good news.
It means that there is more room for progress if the last update was pre planned.
If it were to fix the issues and it barely did anything, then I would be more worried.
There is now more time and resources to effectively work on a fix for the rear end issue.
Over the winter was when they were supposed to have fixed the car's issues with a better base. That they've not been able to do that is not good news, because the changes needed to properly 'fix' anything are likely out the window without more fundamental rethinking that's simply not possible in-season, and definitely not possible in a season like this when 2026 has to be a priority if you're not capable of fighting for the championship.
Perhaps Ferrari still put some effort into doing what they can, even if just for the exercise of doing so and proving they can move forward meaningfully, but it's more likely to be bandaid fixes than anything that will genuinely transform the car into what Ferrari were aiming for to begin with. And they'll have limited resources to do all this anyways, because again, Ferrari are out of the championship battle already and will be better off prioritizing 2026.
Picking up on those elements, as I fundamentally agree ..... but to expand more this aspect.
Its often repeated on here about various design concepts they've shifted to, pull front, shorter rear, rearward cockpit bias amongst them, all of these very superficial in view and scope.
As you've pointed out though, its more fundamental than that. They've, through design and change etc, come up with a broadly performing car level similar to that before (SF24) and other Ferrari years offerings ..... which ultimately questions the process by which these are created as being the limitation. To keep imparting the same actions only to get same results is not productive.
This is what a good lead like AN, G Murray, J Barnard, R Brawn all do .... breaking through that barrier of thinking, those with sufficient foresight travelling with them.
Ferarri lacking someone with that gravitas to properly direct the orchestra seems embedded, and they too in "close but not close enough" performance.
