Alexandre
The pre-season tests in Bahrain had thrown some confusion around the new Ferrari SF-25. Deemed "clumsy" and "unstable", some observers had immediately placed her as the "fourth force" of the grid. However, aF1 driver revealed that Ferrari had hidden its cards well. And indeed, from the very first day of testing in Melbourne, the times and especially the telemetry from the second free practice session (FP2) showed a completely different reality: the Scuderia Ferrari is right up there with the McLaren MCL39, even very close, with only a tenth of a second difference on the fast laps.
A different hierarchy from Bahrain
The tests F1 in Bahrain suggested that McLaren had a slight advantage, supported by convincing performances both in terms of pure pace and aerodynamic package management. But in Melbourne, Ferrari silenced certain doubts. The Maranello engineers, who had admitted to "sandbagging" (running with high fuel loads or extra ballast to mask the car's real potential), now seem to be deploying SF-25 capabilities more seamlessly.
Two aerodynamic philosophies
Ferrari and McLaren reportedly adopted slightly different aerodynamic approaches in Melbourne. While the SF-25 took to the track with a busier configuration, the MCL39 opted for a set-up more geared to top speed.
This aerodynamic discrepancy was evident in the first two sectors of the Albert Park circuit, where Charles Leclerc took a slight advantage over Oscar Piastri. In the braking phases, the Ferrari showed itself to be particularly at ease, as witnessed in Curve 3, where Leclerc succeeded in impressively delaying his braking.
Another Ferrari trump card: acceleration
Generally speaking, telemetry highlights the SF-25's high acceleration capacity.. Both on slow exits and in medium-speed corners, the traction of the Italian single-seater seems to offer a serious advantage. Leclerc is able to maintain a higher corner entry speed while keeping control of the rear of the car, demonstrating the stability of the chassis in intermediate corners.
However, not everything is perfect at Ferrari. In the fast sequence of turns 11-12, the car showed a rear-end stall, visible through negative acceleration peaks. Rear-end stability still needs fine-tuning.
In the end, the difference between the two single-seaters comes down to very little, with a time difference of barely a tenth of a second. Ferrari proved in Melbourne that it is solid under braking and formidable under acceleration. The SF-25 is closing in on a McLaren considered the favorite.