Alexandre
The first Grand Prix of the 2025 season of Formula 1played in Melbourne, was a real blow for the Scuderia Ferrari. Against all expectations, the Ferraris failed to live up to the tifosi's expectations, picking up just 5 points - a total of their worst first-round performance for several years. What happened, and what are the possible explanations for this poor performance? Let's take a closer look at what could explain Ferrari's debacle.
A possible error on the SF-25 floor?
One of the most hotly debated hypotheses on social networks concerns the floor configuration of the Ferrari SF-25. Persistent rumours suggest that the team may have adjusted the car's ground clearance for fear of excessive wear on the floorboard. Although not officially confirmed, this hypothesis raises many questions. Ferrari had three days of testing in Bahrain to prepare for this first round, where they had the opportunity to evaluate all possible settings and heights. If the team has indeed raised the ground clearance, this could indicate that Ferrari has not yet found the optimum window for its set-up.
Problems with the settings?
If Ferrari has indeed made an overly ambitious choice in adjusting the floor height, this would indicate that the concept of the the SF-25 does not benefit from a sufficiently wide performance window. The slightest adjustment, however minor, could result in a significant drop in performance. This suggests that Ferrari still needs to fine-tune its set-up to suit different track conditions. However, Charles Leclerc recently stated that he doesn't expect performance to deteriorate that much at the forthcoming Chinese Grand Prix. This statement suggests that the team could get back into shape quickly.
The parallel with Haas: similar problems?
Another hypothesis is worth examining: the similarity between the problems encountered by Ferrari and those of Haas in Melbourne. Both teams have suffered from problems with their cars, and Ferrari shares similar elements with the Haas car. We'll have to keep an eye on the next Grand Prix to see if these problems persist for both teams.
Lessons to be learned
Despite this debacle, Ferrari learned some important lessons at this Grand Prix, and these could help them prepare better for the races to come. Technical Director Loïc Serra has returned to Italy and will not be attending the Chinese Grand Prix. He will be back, as planned, at Suzuka. A return to the simulator and adjustments to the set-up could quickly put the Scuderia back in the running.