THE REAL LIMITATION OF THE SF-25

Ferrari’s performance in Jeddah was more than respectable, if you look at it within the broader context. However, I want to focus on a point that keeps coming back obsessively: the ride height of the SF-25.

It’s true — this topic dominated discussions after Melbourne, where it was clear there was a setup change between practice and qualifying. But now, five races into the season, does it really still make sense to keep bringing this up? Let’s be serious: do you honestly believe Ferrari shows up every Friday with a perfect setup, only to ruin it on Saturday by raising the car and throwing everything off? It would be such a gross mistake that it's hard to believe. It’s obvious that, with a full fuel load, this car simply can't run at the minimum ride heights. So why would they even bother testing setups that they know they can't use in qualifying or the race?

The real issue is something else: today’s Ferrari simply doesn’t have enough margin to make that decisive step forward in Q3. McLaren, on the other hand, with its extraordinary aerodynamic load and outstanding mechanical grip, can immediately perform — even in tricky conditions — showcasing just how solid the MCL39 project really is.

The truth is simple: the SF-25 isn't a bad car in absolute terms, but it was born less competitive than expected. The shift in technical philosophy, aimed at unlocking higher potential, did improve the car’s performance in high-speed corners — but at the cost of seriously compromising its behavior in slow corners, where Ferrari now struggles more than most. In short, they lost their main strength without really gaining new ones.

Red Bull and McLaren have been working on complex concepts — especially suspension setups — since 2022. Trying to catch up late with still-conventional solutions was always going to be risky. You only had to watch the early onboard footage from testing to realize that the real problems with the SF-25 weren't about ride height at all, but about the car’s fundamental design.

Even when it comes to aerodynamics, Ferrari doesn’t show anything particularly innovative or extreme. Hoping that the new wing regulations, set to arrive in Barcelona, can close the gap is understandable — but in my view, highly unrealistic.

So enough with the indulgent analyses that talk about sudden, easily fixable problems. And enough with the overly dramatic takes, too — because, at the end of the day, the truth is far less sensational than people like to make it.

© Simone Marchetti Cavalieri

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