“We’ve taken a distinct course that I like. If we proceed down this path, I hope we’ll get our first podium.” On the eve of the fifth spherical of the 2025 Method 1 season, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc didn’t disguise a contact of optimism for a race that, on paper, ought to have suited the SF-25 single-seater higher however may even have uncovered sure limitations of the automotive.
Wanting again, Ferrari leaves the 6.174-kilometre Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia with two interlinked takeaways: the primary podium of the season offered a morale increase to a Maranello workforce that wanted and needed to ship a sign, whereas additionally highlighting that the highway again to persistently being on the high remains to be lengthy, and relies on the upcoming aerodynamic updates.
The qualifying session on Saturday confirmed a Ferrari because the fourth-best workforce, whose lack of aerodynamic load interprets right into a shortfall in efficiency when it comes time to use the automotive’s full potential. Within the race, nonetheless, the Prancing Horse got here to life, as already seen final week in Bahrain earlier than the Security Automobile, shocking even Ferrari itself.
On the finish of the race, Ferrari workforce principal Frédéric Vasseur defined that he didn’t have a transparent clarification for the way and why the SF-25 carried out so effectively within the last section of the primary stint on medium tires, however he additionally careworn that the true anomaly lies within the efficiency hole between qualifying and the race, figuring out single-lap tempo as one of many areas to enhance to be able to begin additional up the grid.
Beginning fourth behind George Russell had a major impression on the tempo Charles Leclerc maintained within the first a part of the race, however in a way, it was additionally the important thing that allowed for competitiveness within the last a part of the stint. With out sufficient of a delta to overhaul on observe, Charles Leclerc correctly stored his distance within the first twenty laps, avoiding staying within the soiled air. This had two results: the Monegasque driver needed to adapt to George Russell’s tempo, lapping on common about six tenths slower than the main duo. Not surprisingly, within the 17 laps between the tip of the Security Automobile and the Briton’s pit cease, Charles Leclerc amassed over 11 seconds of hole to Max Verstappen.
Nonetheless, as soon as George Russell pitted, giving him clear air to run in, Charles Leclerc unleashed his tempo, reducing lap occasions with a development that even stunned Ferrari, permitting them to increase the stint — an element that turned out to be essential in heading off Lando Norris’s comeback.
The fascinating side is knowing the place that clear tempo enchancment got here from and the way it needs to be interpreted inside a broader race evaluation. Probably the most pure reply is that this time evolution got here from pushing extra within the corners, with the attention that he may improve the tempo with out the chance of closing the hole and ending up once more in soiled air, which might have compromised the tires.
The practically six tenths common hole amassed within the first twenty laps got here from having maintained a considerably slower cornering tempo, with far more cautious throttle administration and, in consequence, much less stress on the tires — each from diminished sliding and from decrease hundreds. This will also be seen when analyzing the telemetry information and evaluating it with that of Max Verstappen, which reveals not solely what has already talked about but in addition that the Ferrari SF-25 automotive was noticeably simpler on the straights, with peaks as much as 10 kilometers per hour increased; a delta due each to aerodynamic selections and a distinct use of engine mapping.
Though high speeds are a power of the automotive, it’s important to take a look at this information extra broadly: gaining time on the straights means the time misplaced in corners was above common per lap, additional lowering tire stress. This broader view helps clarify Charles Leclerc’s development in the course of the first stint as soon as he had clear air, displaying a clearly superior tempo in comparison with George Russell as much as that time, confirming that Ferrari nonetheless had efficiency margin.
With out the Mercedes W16 automotive forward, Charles Leclerc’s tempo on mediums would have been extra “balanced” and constant all through the stint, however we’d not have seen that rhythm leap that in the end outlined his efficiency — although it doesn’t take away from how sturdy Charles Leclerc’s lap occasions had been throughout that section. Wanting on the lap occasions, in actual fact, Charles Leclerc was nearly in a position to match Lando Norris’s tempo throughout that clean-air section, which confirms how stable the Monegasque’s tempo was, even when, as Pirelli confirmed, the efficiency hole between medium and laborious was small. Furthermore, Lando Norris needed to push laborious on the hards earlier on to make his comeback work.
Certainly, the unknown within the equation — or maybe extra precisely, the anomaly — was Mercedes, which collapsed on account of difficulties managing temperatures and thermal degradation, even triggering blistering, a phenomenon hardly ever seen on a low-degradation observe like Jeddah, the place the primary threat has at all times been graining. That is additionally proven by the inner comparability at Mercedes: Andrea Kimi Antonelli was certainly sooner than his teammate within the last section of the race, however lapped 7–8 tenths slower per lap than George Russell within the first a part of the second stint. A trade-off that confirms how totally different stint administration may shift values.
These laps in clear air proved elementary for Charles Leclerc, as they allowed him to increase the stint past preliminary forecasts, aligning with Lando Norris whereas additionally making a nine-lap delta over the Max Verstappen – Oscar Piastri duo.
This primary podium of the 2025 Method 1 season is definitely not the dream consequence the Italian facet was aiming for, however it’s an encouraging first step — additionally helpful to “unlock” a stat that was starting to weigh. The SF-25 is an environment friendly automotive, however one that also suffers from a scarcity of downforce: a shortcoming that reveals up significantly within the qualifying session, the place Ferrari has proven the best difficulties, counting on a Charles Leclerc typically driving on the restrict.
Progress inevitably relies on including “balanced” downforce, which ought to present a efficiency bounce each in qualifying and the race. However it’s now clear that, to make the leap — not simply in remoted circumstances, in a broader image that may even apply to Crimson Bull — working solely on setup is now not sufficient, because the Monegasque is already extracting the utmost from it. One thing extra concrete is due to this fact wanted.
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