Ferrari arrives in Jeddah away from the highlight. In Method 1 it’s all the time clever to take action, since huge statements are sometimes not adopted by, particularly on the subject of the Prancing Horse. The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix includes a powerful monitor and, at this explicit second of the 2025 Method 1 season, apart from the structure, it’s nonetheless obscure whether or not or not it’d favor the pink automobile. Higher to let the monitor do the speaking.
On the 5.412-kilometre Bahrain Worldwide Circuit in Sakhir, the primary of the 2 SF-25 automobiles completed in fourth place, precisely like in Japan, whereas Lewis Hamilton managed a comeback to complete simply behind his Maranello teammate. If we analyze the context intimately, we are able to see that within the second stint, the Italian automobiles had been sturdy. All true. However there was a big tire compound benefit that, as soon as gone, revealed one thing else fully.
Ferrari was not quicker than the McLaren MCL39 automobiles and George Russell who, on Comfortable tires, was in a position to hold a superb tempo with out ever being troubled by Charles Leclerc. In the meantime, Lewis Hamilton stayed forward of one other Mercedes, Kimi Antonelli’s, who completed eleventh, and Max Verstappen’s Purple Bull RB21, which struggled badly with the tires and couldn’t present the true tempo it had displayed in Suzuka.
The remainder of the automobiles behind the Briton weren’t precisely lightning quick: we’re speaking Alpine, Haas, Williams, Racing Bulls, Aston Martin, and Sauber. All groups that, whatever the occasions, needs to be behind Ferrari. Including such a serious part as the ground to the automobile isn’t straightforward. It must be analyzed, understood, and made to work as finest as attainable. Nevertheless, saying there was a step ahead by way of lap occasions looks like an overstatement.
Particularly contemplating Lewis Hamilton’s enthusiasm on Thursday, when the Briton was enthusiastic about an improve that was supposed to repair all issues—which, should you simply watch the onboard footage from the primary free follow session on Friday as much as the race on Sunday, had been nonetheless largely current in most classes. We aren’t in opposition to Ferrari, however on the similar time we are able to’t ignore the same habits and the hole in general race tempo.
Ferrari group principal Frederic Vasseur says a small step ahead was made. Certainly, he is aware of greater than we do, particularly after rigorously analyzing all the information collected in Bahrain. He spoke of a small step in competitiveness which, we repeat, doesn’t appear so evident to us. In Charles Leclerc’s qualifying lap, the Monegasque outdid himself. He drove past the automobile’s limits, however even in that lap, corrections had been nonetheless wanted.
Lewis Hamilton was even worse, with efficiency going unexpressed. As for the race, as now we have already mentioned: on Mediums, with the benefit of brisker tires, the tempo was good—however the second that additional grip was gone, Mercedes and McLaren, on older tires, had been quicker. To not point out the Hards, the place the efficiency was poor. Nonetheless, we need to belief Frederic Vasseur.
It wouldn’t be clever for him, regardless of the low profile, to say one thing that didn’t exist. Due to this fact, could be completely satisfied to see this small step, or who is aware of, perhaps a much bigger one, materialize in just some days on the Jeddah circuit. All of this if we’re speaking about pure efficiency. If, as an alternative, it’s about optimizing the outcome, nice, however that’s one other matter. At this level, Ferrari can’t simply maximize; if that’s the objective, you don’t even get on the rostrum.
The objective is one thing else, proper? Specializing in themselves? Wonderful. Extracting the utmost from the automobile? Excellent. However to shut the hole, updates that make a distinction are wanted. A transparent one. Let’s hope that in Saudi Arabia, that’s the case, as a result of perhaps the brand new flooring works significantly better after having studied it on monitor. In brief, we’re eagerly awaiting this upward leap from the pink automobile.
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