A very powerful work on the brand new Ferrari is the one that can not be seen. The Maranello group has closely targeted on the mechanical elements of the SF-25, reorganizing inside packaging to unencumber house for the aerodynamics division. Regardless of the numerous modifications, technical director Loic Serra is just not frightened that the group would require an extended studying interval than its rivals to grasp the right way to exploit the brand new automobile. Quite the opposite, the modifications intention to speed up the automobile’s progress with deliberate updates.
The work beneath the floor
“The principle purpose of the SF-25 venture was to unencumber house to push improvement, each aerodynamically and general,” explains Loic Serra. “The SF-24 was fairly aggressive on the finish of the season, however updating and discovering efficiency was turning into more and more tough, so we needed to create house to speed up the event tempo.” Ferrari’s method mirrors what Andrea Stella described for McLaren, beginning with an optimization of the automobile’s structure to permit better room for aerodynamic interventions.
The work has affected your entire automobile, as Loic Serra explains: “On these automobiles, every thing is so optimized that while you transfer one part, you then must shift every thing else. You possibly can’t say that the principle issue was with the entrance suspension or elsewhere. In actuality, while you begin altering one thing, it units off a series response that results in altering every thing. I’d say the largest problem was within the general compromise.”
The brand new Ferrari includes a driving place moved again by a few centimeters, mixed with a barely longer wheelbase, as confirmed by Loic Serra: “There are small updates in that space, however they’re actually minimal and never the driving power behind the venture.” One of many standout modifications in the SF-25 is the swap to a pull-rod entrance suspension, however the important slimming of the sidepods can be notable, indicating a extra compact radiator and inside elements regardless of the lowered house brought on by the cockpit repositioning. The French engineer continues: “On these automobiles, the satan is within the particulars. All of us discuss concerning the entrance suspension as a result of it’s the seen tip of the iceberg. Nonetheless, many of the elements on the automobile are new, and it’s not essentially probably the most seen ones which have the largest influence.”
Evolution, not revolution
The inversion of the SF-25’s entrance suspension raises the query of whether or not the group would require a studying interval, corresponding to adjusting setup decisions to manage the ground’s journey peak. Nonetheless, Loic Serra reassures: “The automobile is a continuation of the earlier one. We now have modified many elements—most of them—however when it comes to efficiency, the final idea stays the identical. That’s why I don’t count on a steeper studying curve than final 12 months.”
The brand new Ferrari evolves previous design ideas, aiming for better stability in medium-to-high-speed and long-radius corners. Past that, nevertheless, the SF-25 will function equally to its predecessor, corresponding to optimizing ground aerodynamics for race circumstances with a full gasoline load. The brand new technical director doesn’t foresee a very lengthy studying interval and as an alternative believes that the house freed up across the chassis and bodywork will yield better positive aspects with updates: “The hope is that the event tempo will probably be sooner than on the finish of final season, however I don’t essentially count on the automobile to be managed in a different way.”
Looking forward to 2026
The continued improvement work in Maranello is just not solely targeted on updates for the SF-25, because the group should additionally push ahead with the 2026 venture. “The 2025 season will probably be fairly difficult,” admits Loic Serra. “We must develop two automobiles, two very totally different animals, in the identical 12 months. The 2026 laws are fairly totally different as a result of they have an effect on the engine, chassis, and even the tires. It will likely be an enormous problem. We now have an SF-25 the place each millisecond will rely, whereas for the 2026 automobile, we’ve got a clean sheet with a really steep improvement curve. Balancing work between the 2 tasks will probably be very tough.”
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