For Ferrari, it’s the identical story once more for now. Spanish GP, spherical 9 of the 2025 System 1 season: nothing new was seen. In response to the Prancing Horse, many issues may have modified, particularly regarding McLaren’s benefit. Contemplating the present efficiency of the MCL39, it appears the Woking staff hasn’t been affected within the slightest by the FIA’s TD018 technical directive aimed toward limiting aerodynamic flexibility of the wings.
Ferrari can’t handle understeer
With out drawing conclusions too shortly, it should even be stated that solely in the present day’s qualifying session will supply a definitive indication of Ferrari’s end result. We all know very properly the problems confronted by the Maranello vehicles in attaining correct thermal administration of the assorted tyre compounds, particularly in qualifying laps. These difficulties appear to be re-emerging in Barcelona, regardless of the brand new entrance wing fitted to the SF-25.
This replace, which the drivers confirmed as not “too important” in closing the hole to the highest, can nonetheless broaden the automotive’s working window—one thing it positively wants. By way of dealing with, each SF-25 vehicles as soon as once more confirmed understeer. This leads to problem for the drivers to hit the apex, significantly at medium-speed corners.
Nonetheless, this lack of rotation is a normal concern all through the lap. The entrance finish struggles, even contemplating the makes an attempt to shift the general steadiness ahead in Spain to “ease” the load on the rear tyres, which might in any other case are inclined to overheat. Essentially the most pressured tyre is the entrance left. In flip 5, which options destructive banking, the Ferrari struggles rather a lot to search out the apex.
Route adjustments penalise Ferrari
In fact, the identical goes for different vehicles, the place they attempt to “drive round” the nook with out aiming for the interior kerb. Nonetheless, different groups have proven ample rotation to have the ability to carve a a lot tighter line. This reduces the chance of struggling a snap on nook exit when the driving force will get again on the throttle.
The opposite main dealing with concern, stemming from a “weak” entrance finish, is in course adjustments. The SF-25 not solely lacks agility but additionally tends to grow to be unbalanced when it wants to change the racing line shortly. That is positively a weak level, as the driving force is compelled to elevate off, leading to important time loss by means of the nook.
Spanish GP, FP2: Charles’ mistake prices in qualifying tempo
Lewis Hamilton acknowledged that the automotive is tough to drive. This means the staff is as soon as once more attempting a really aggressive setup this season. We’ll solely have affirmation of this later in the present day. The truth that Ferrari performs properly within the third sector confirms that the rear isn’t working badly in any respect, whereas, as talked about, the entrance is clearly struggling.
This refers particularly to the shortage of front-end load in comparison with McLaren and Purple Bull. Ferrari loses out on nook entry, however the rear places energy down successfully. The hole is telling when wanting on the information, although telemetry exhibits a very massive loss on the chicane in turns 7–8. On this part, the SF-25 loses almost three and a half tenths to the front-runners.
That’s why the “actual” hole could be round three tenths, not the 5 tenths proven in FP2. We took an in depth take a look at the telemetry information associated to the second Charles Leclerc misplaced these three and a half tenths. On nook entry, he suffered a robust and fully surprising oversteer second. A “snap” that wasn’t attributable to any destructive attribute of the automotive. On this case, it was clearly a driver error, partly on account of a robust gust of wind.
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