After Miami, it’s time to wake up. The Florida Formula 1 Grand Prix may have been the final revelation of a deeper discomfort in Scuderia Ferrari. The double Top 8 of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, far behind the competition, only served to accentuate the discomfort that was already felt from the beginning of the season. And if Fred Vasseur has raised his voice, getting to talk about a “total reset” for the Barcelona Grand Prix, it is because the problem is now clear … but its resolution promises to be complex.
The problem: the rear suspension, not only aerodynamics
For several weeks, attention focuses on aerodynamics and changes in the regulation, particularly flexible ailerons. However, in Maranello, the true Achilles heel of the SF-25 is elsewhere: the rear suspension.
The defect came to light in March .. In Melbourne and Shanghai, the Ferrari proved to be unstable and unpredictable, wearing excessively its flat background. The result was Hamilton disqualification and a growing concern for car design. According to the news, The flat background and the rear suspension of SF-25 connecting connects to lack of stiffness.
Specifically, engineers have failed to take advantage of optimal adjustments for everything to work. The pilot heights are poorly managed, the aerodynamic load collapses during the race, and the car is not rival for McLaren or Red Bull.
development is planned … but no date has been set
It is a hard assessment, but shared by several sources, including the Italian medium author: The SF-25 has a potential that has been detected in the simulator, but cannot be used on the track. Because? Because “the car works with ineffective mechanical adjustments.” The quid of the problem: the rear suspension does not work as it should. And the only solution is radical: introduce a new rear suspension.
-This is precisely what Ferrari plans. The project has been launched, the pieces are being designed or tested, but the calendar is not clear. It is not a trivial change: it is a thorough review of a key component, in full season, which requires validation in the simulator, manufacturing, track tests … and above all, an appropriate time to introduce it without endangering reliability.
Hope of an “Imala effect”, but without certainty
Meanwhile, the team tries to keep appearances. A new bottom in Icola is expected, and adjustments linked to the regulations on the flexibility of the front wing could give Ferrari advantage. Fred Vasseur plays the letter of the “reset” for Barcelona. But, in reality, the problem detected in March will not be solved by then.
So it is an unstable and moving SF-25 that Leclerc and Hamilton will have to continue driving in the coming weeks. And internal tensions begin to notice. In Miami, radio exchanges between Hamilton and his engineer, followed by his private pressure tactics with Vasseur, showed the beginning of a break between the “Dream Team” of pilots and the technical team. Leclerc, meanwhile, seems resigned.
Maranello under pressure, Vasseur under pressure
In Barcelona, if the new pieces do not change anything, the “restart” could go far beyond the technical aspect. Fred Vasseur himself is aware that if Ferrari expects too much, he could be forced to review all his organization chart and his strategy for 2026 this summer.
Loïc Serra, who has arrived to put order in the technical direction, is already under pressure. Winter evaluation errors could leave deep scars. Now Ferrari must act quickly, and well, if he doesn’t want to spoil a whole season.
