Ferrari has labored laborious with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to pursue its ambitions. By now, we all know very properly the objective of the Prancing Horse: combating for each Method 1 world titles. Nobody is hiding it. Each the group and the drivers have reiterated it. Frédéric Vasseur is on the helm of a renewed group with an intense want to return to success. The Italian facet’s two drivers are not any completely different. They’re pushed by completely different motivations. On one facet, there’s the Monegasque, who, at 27 years previous and after six seasons with the Maranello group, is decided to turn out to be world champion.
On the opposite facet, there’s the Briton. He has already received seven championships, equaling Michael Schumacher’s report. At over 40 years previous, he has taken on a brand new problem to assert his eighth title, aiming to turn out to be probably the most profitable driver in historical past. Reaching this with Ferrari—a group that has not received something in practically seventeen years—would cement his place within the legend of crucial Method 1 group, making him a form of nationwide hero who restores pleasure to Maranello after greater than a decade and a half of ready.
A comparability between Charles Leclerc’s greatest lap within the second session of 2025 testing and his greatest lap from final yr’s pre-season checks in Sakhir with the SF-24 offers us a primary glimpse of how a lot progress the brand new Ferrari has made. Enhancements within the setup of a automotive that’s 99% new, as Frédéric Vasseur himself emphasised properly upfront. Probably the most vital step ahead made by Ferrari is straight away obvious when analyzing our telemetry comparability.
It’s discovered within the snake part, referring to the quick sequence within the second sector comprising turns 5, 6, and seven. The SF-25’s mid-corner pace distinction is really exceptional. It’s 14 kilometers per hour quicker in flip 6 and a powerful 16 kilometers per hour quicker in flip 7. Probably the most fascinating facet is that Maranello’s newest aeromechanical creation can go full throttle a number of meters earlier and, as if that weren’t sufficient, manages to take this part of the Center Japanese circuit flat out with none lift-off.
Normally, when observing the telemetry knowledge, it’s evident that in each nook, the minimal speeds favor the Ferrari SF-25. The identical applies to the acceleration section, the place the 2025 automotive can get on the throttle a lot earlier, demonstrating the group’s progress when it comes to traction as properly. From the pace curve traits, it seems that the ability unit was not working at its full potential, because it doesn’t unleash all its energy on the finish of the straights, with a flattening of prime pace within the closing meters earlier than braking. That is notably noticeable earlier than flip 11 and switch 14.
The extra knowledge gathered from the second day of F1 testing in Bahrain compares the typical pace over a lap with the typical between prime and minimal pace. This additional confirms that Ferrari labored extensively yesterday on fine-tuning the automotive’s steadiness. The explanations for this are fairly clear: extracting the utmost efficiency from the SF-25, each in qualifying configuration and in race simulation, the place they simulated a 300 kilometer stint with a excessive gasoline load on board. The leads to push laps are greater than evident.
As for race tempo, it can’t be stated that Ferrari’s dealing with was poor. Quite the opposite, the automotive was composed and comparatively impartial. Nonetheless, as highlighted in yesterday’s evaluation, Ferrari simulated a Grand Prix situation the place McLaren appeared extra ready. The lap occasions weren’t on par with McLaren’s, which additionally confirmed larger consistency over a number of laps. That is an preliminary indication that requires additional affirmation, as gasoline masses had been unknown, as had been the engine and hybrid system mappings.
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