poor traction, lack of rotation and inadequate downforce

April 7, 2025

3

Seeing a Ferrari like this in Components 1 is painful. One can not say in any other case when expectations had been fairly totally different. On this telemetry evaluation of the crimson automobile, we can even embrace knowledge from Kimi Antonelli. The efficiency of the Italian will assist us perceive the present type of the Maranello-based automobile. Let’s begin by saying that Kimi Antonelli has provided one other clear and unmistakable sign: he doesn’t drive to make an look, however to make a distinction.

The Italian rookie drove an almost good race, ending in sixth place and scoring necessary factors for the staff. However that’s not all: with the quickest lap within the race and 9 laps within the lead, he broke two information that belonged to a sure Max Verstappen, changing into the youngest driver to guide an F1 race and to set the quickest lap.

The efficiency was constructed on stable foundations: an extremely lengthy 30-lap stint on the medium tires, the longest on the grid, managed with disarming consistency. After Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, in reality, Kimi Antonelli was the third quickest within the first a part of the race, with a median lap time of 1.33.669 and a finest lap even recorded on lap 28, displaying that the degradation on his W16 single-seater was virtually zero.

After the one pit cease of the race, the pattern was confirmed: the Mercedes driver was the quickest on monitor within the second stint, setting the quickest lap on lap 50, earlier than ending his race simply over a second behind his teammate. Sadly, the identical can’t be stated for automobile quantity 44. After a stable first a part of the race, Lewis Hamilton’s assault on the sixth place stopped at lap 33, when the seven-time Components 1 world champion tried an undercut on the 18-year-old from Mercedes by switching to the medium tire.

Nevertheless, by the second lap of his stint, Kimi Antonelli’s onerous tire offered extra grip and efficiency, and Lewis Hamilton misplaced using the DRS system. From there on, a gradual decline started: a ten.5-second hole by the top of the Japanese Grand Prix. The second stint was merely disastrous, which is unusual contemplating the yellow tire is probably extra performant than the onerous tire, particularly within the first 15 laps.

But, as talked about, within the final 23 laps, the typical delta to Kimi Antonelli was about 5 tenths per lap. To know what the precise limitations of the SF-25 had been within the remaining a part of the race, we determined to research two laps concurrently from the Italian driver and Lewis Hamilton. We’re speaking about lap quantity 46. As a premise, it is very important notice that there was quite a lot of speak about trip heights because the begin of the 2025 Components 1 season.

Properly, may these have affected the second half of the race on the 5.807-kilometre Suzuka Circuit? As a result of we do not forget that because the automobile consumes gasoline, it naturally lightens in weight and, consequently, it rises barely from the reference aircraft, probably reaching heights that aren’t supreme for the correct functioning of the Ferrari single-seater. That is our speculation. As for the remainder, there’s the thermal degradation that Lewis Hamilton himself confirmed through numerous staff radio messages.

From the preliminary evaluation of the telemetry, it’s evident that every one of Kimi Antonelli’s benefit is within the first sector, and that is fairly curious: theoretically, that is the part of the monitor the place probably the most grip is required, which a softer tire compound can present. Solely within the snake part, specifically from corners 2 to 7, does Lewis Hamilton lose as a lot as 0.519 seconds. In each single nook of the lengthy part, the British driver has a major velocity deficit.

We particularly discover this within the exit of flip 6 and within the entry into flip 7, the place the delta is even 9 kilometers per hour: all through the Suzuka weekend, the Crimson automobile struggled with understeer, and this nook is evident proof of that. Even within the race, this phenomenon was current, though it appeared rather more pronounced on the British driver’s automobile than on Charles Leclerc‘s, the place small enhancements in rotation had been seen.

Moreover, the dearth of grip and downforce generated on the medium Pirelli compound can be confirmed by the total throttle and full braking knowledge: as a lot as 4.6% extra and 5.8% much less, respectively, in favor of Kimi Antonelli, indicating that the Italian was a lot faster and extra simply on the throttle for traction, and wanted to make use of the brakes much less, displaying glorious rotation and agility.

Contemplating the British driver’s dealing with, the Spoon part, specifically corners 13-14, was the litmus take a look at for the seven-time Components 1 champion. Part of the monitor the place it’s crucial to hold as a lot velocity as attainable into the nook and thru it, then attempt to get on the gasoline earlier, utilizing all of the monitor, and totally trip the exterior curb. Lewis Hamilton struggled from qualifying on Saturday, and within the race, the distinction was greater than clear.

He even loses 8 kilometers per hour on the apex, as he’s pressured to make use of the brakes rather more to decelerate the automobile, switch weight to the entrance, and goal the entrance finish on the apex of the nook. Within the exit, as soon as once more, he’s late on the throttle pedal, displaying an absence of traction, after which carries the drawback all through the 130R part, compromising not solely the second sector but in addition a part of the third.

The British driver had said that he sacrificed qualifying efficiency for a race-oriented setup, however the knowledge tells a special story. The truth is, it’s the actual reverse. There may be actually nonetheless a lot work to be completed for Ferrari, and they should examine the dynamics of this SF-25 automobile rigorously. A automobile that, for the time being, can not extract all its potential, principally as a result of the setups aren’t being optimized.