Ferrari in search of balance ahead of Belgian Grand Prix

As part of a filming day at Mugello, Ferrari conducted a crucial testing session last Thursday. Under the guise of this regulatory activity, the Italian team had Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton run with a modified SF-25. This “disguised test” aimed to validate a new rear suspension that could be a game changer for the second half of the season.

Mugello, a discreet testing laboratory

Like all F1 teams, Ferrari has two filming days per season, each limited to 200 kilometers. After using the first one at Fiorano for the launch of the SF-25, the team reserved the second for this crucial technical test. The choice of Mugello is not coincidental; in fact, this circuit belongs to Ferrari and offers complete confidentiality.

Leclerc opened the proceedings in the morning before handing over the wheel to Hamilton in the afternoon. Each driver completed around twenty laps, making full use of the 200 kilometers permitted. Loïc Serra, the technical director who came from Mercedes, personally supervised the operations from the pit wall.

The testing program had begun the day before, on Wednesday. Ferrari had organized a day dedicated to TPC testing (previous cars) with the 2023 SF-23. Guanyu Zhou, the team’s reserve driver, and Antonio Fuoco, the development driver, conducted runs before being interrupted by rain. Meanwhile, Antonio Giovinazzi, another reserve driver for Ferrari, completed a short 15-kilometer run with the SF-25 in its standard configuration, to establish a direct comparison baseline before testing the new suspension the following day.

A chronic ailment to treat

Since January, Ferrari has been dragging a burden: the inability to run the SF-25 at the ideal height. This technical flaw forces the team to raise the car to prevent the floor from excessively scraping on the asphalt. This results in constant aerodynamic compromises that cost precious tenths.

The problem worsens on the fast sections and when the tanks are full. In China, Hamilton was even disqualified for excessive wear on the skid block located under the car. More recently, at Silverstone, both drivers received radio instructions to ease off in certain areas in order to preserve the equipment.

This structural weakness forced Leclerc and Hamilton to adopt atypical setups. The Monegasque developed a pronounced oversteer approach, shifting the aerodynamic balance forward. Hamilton has also recently turned to similar setups, the only solution to extract pace from this capricious SF-25.

“The origin of the problem revealed”

The root of the problem goes back to the early project design choices. Ferrari moved the cockpit backward to optimize aerodynamics, causing a shift of the engine and fuel tank towards the rear. This change reduced the available space in front of the gearbox, which was already shortened compared to previous generation single-seaters.

The direct consequence of this setback is that the rear center shock absorber lacks the capacity to effectively control the vertical movements of the car. This component plays a fundamental role in stabilizing the car’s stance, particularly in a straight line and during aerodynamic pumping phenomena.

An ambitious technical overhaul

The solution developed by the engineers at Maranello modifies the geometry of the upper wishbones. The main anchor point is lowered by several centimeters, making room for a more efficient shock absorber. This development is accompanied by a reinforcement of the carbon structure of the gearbox, which is stressed differently by the new loads.

The technical intervention goes beyond mere repositioning. The internal components of the suspension have been redesigned, notably integrating an enhanced anti-dive effect. This feature keeps the rear of the car lower during braking, improving stability when entering curves.

First mixed but encouraging verdicts

Leclerc’s sensations did not reveal a spectacular transformation in behavior according to motorsport.it. The Monegasque driver did not perceive major differences in the immediate driving of the SF-25. However, the analysis of telemetry data provides a more optimistic diagnosis.

Engineers have observed better control of the rear movements, particularly during the critical phases of aerodynamic loading and unloading. The results of dynamic simulations confirm this positive trend, validating the aerodynamic models carried out upstream through the numerical simulation of airflow (CFD).

Ferrari is betting on a combined gain close to a tenth of a second. This improvement would result from the synergy between the new floor introduced in Austria and this revised suspension. A sufficient progress to hope to consolidate their second place in the constructors’ standings and attempt to close the gap with McLaren, currently leading with a 238-point advantage.

The Belgian weekend trap

The introduction of this development at the Belgian Grand Prix nevertheless involves risks. Indeed, the Sprint format drastically reduces adaptation time with only one practice session to tame such a fundamental component. Therefore, Ferrari will need to demonstrate efficiency to optimize the settings in this limited timeframe.

The issue goes beyond mere performance. This suspension could allow drivers to return to more conventional settings, abandoning the extreme configurations imposed by current shortcomings. A return to normality that would unlock potential both in qualifying and during the race.

Spa-Francorchamps will reveal if Ferrari has found the key to its chronic problems. For a team that has only won one Sprint this season with Hamilton, against McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes, who have already won in Grand Prix, the urgency is real.