The Ferrari automobile that Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will pilot in 2025 is about to be a radical departure from the SF-24 used in the course of the 2024 Components 1 season.
Some of the vital adjustments, lengthy anticipated, is the shift from push-rod suspension on the entrance to pull-rod suspension. This modification necessitates an entire redesign of the entrance chassis. On the rear, the pull-rod suspension will likely be retained, however the kinematics of the rear will bear additional changes, with the gearbox anticipated to be shortened but once more.
One other notable alteration from the 2024 automobile, which completed second to McLaren within the Constructors’ Championship, includes the sidepod air inlets. These are anticipated to be repositioned and gotten smaller to counteract air turbulence attributable to the entrance wheels.
In 2024, Ferrari demonstrated exceptional progress, second solely to McLaren. The SF-24 supplied a dependable platform that aligned with the crew’s intention for better competitiveness in race circumstances in comparison with its predecessor, the SF-23. The SF-24, whereas showing as a profound evolution of the SF-23, featured in depth hidden adjustments. These included lengthening the gasoline tank space and shortening the gearbox by roughly 5cm.
Regardless of sustaining the identical wheelbase, Ferrari managed to regulate the automobile’s weight distribution inside regulatory limits. This had a big affect on load switch administration and car dynamics via the suspension system. Though the suspension format remained the identical, the interior kinematics and positioning of parts have been revised. The outcomes confirmed that the combination between car dynamics and aerodynamics was successful.
Nonetheless, this success encountered challenges when Ferrari launched an bold improve in Spain. The first purpose of this improve was to boost floor-generated downforce whereas concurrently lowering drag via varied wing configurations. Regardless of its theoretical promise, the improve proved to be a double-edged sword. It reintroduced porpoising, which made the automobile troublesome to deal with, decreased efficiency, and elevated tire degradation.
The basic problem lay in integrating the improve right into a platform that already excelled in dynamic stability however had restricted potential for additional growth. The improve generated larger aerodynamic masses however altered how these masses have been distributed throughout the ground, diverging from the automobile’s unique configuration. This imbalance undermined the synergy between aerodynamics and car dynamics.
A side-by-side comparability of the automobile’s Bahrain and Abu Dhabi configurations highlights the evolution all through the season. Modifications prolonged past the sidepod inlets and low-profile design; the central bodywork and cooling vents additionally underwent vital modifications.
For the season finale, Ferrari opted to not use the experimental ground examined by Charles Leclerc in Qatar on the Lusail Worldwide Circuit. Though it didn’t yield a decisive efficiency benefit, it served as a preview of the ground design supposed for the 2025 automobile, providing a glimpse into the improvements Ferrari goals to carry into the brand new Components 1 season.