Earlier than utterly shifting focus to the fifth spherical of the 2025 Method 1 season, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, let’s take another take a look at some key insights from Ferrari’s weekend on the 5.412-kilometre Bahrain Worldwide Circuit in Sakhir. The Italian aspect made a small step ahead in comparison with the primary a part of the weekend, though the consequence stays inadequate. The Maranello group is making an attempt to optimise the SF-25 automotive following the introduction of a brand new flooring, however the step ahead in tyre administration continues to be lacking. That is an space that requires numerous effort, as a result of as we all know, tyres play a vital function within the high class of motorsport.
Given the degradation seen within the first two free observe classes, the Ferrari engineers and technicians opted for a extra versatile technique, with the intention of extending the primary stint and higher managing tyre put on. This alternative solely paid off with Charles Leclerc, who, after a poor begin as a result of decrease grip, was capable of keep a tempo just like the drivers forward of him.
Lewis Hamilton, then again, repeatedly complained a couple of lack of grip and solely within the remaining a part of the stint was he capable of enhance his sector occasions. The efficiency enchancment of each Ferrari drivers helped to minimise tyre put on all through the stint. A observe that we will nonetheless see in a optimistic mild.
Oscar Piastri managed his tempo by sustaining a minimal hole to George Russell to forestall him from utilizing the drag discount system. As seen primarily based on the telemetry information from the ultimate a part of the primary stint, Oscar Piastri was removed from pushing the automotive to its restrict. In the meantime, George Russell was skilful in managing tyre put on. Benefiting from a softer rear setup, the Briton made good use of the throttle on nook exit, stopping his rival from overtaking.
Purple Bull concluded essentially the most troublesome weekend for the reason that begin of the 2025 Method 1 season within the worst potential approach. Larger temperatures and errors made in the course of the pit cease tyre modifications prevented Max Verstappen from working his normal race. The issues started already within the qualifying session, forcing the reigning world champion right into a comeback drive. Caught within the midfield, the four-time Method 1 world champion couldn’t management overheating and complained of lack of grip all through the stint. Based mostly on the info associated to tyre degradation we will see that tyre put on with the Exhausting compound was excessive, forcing the Milton Keynes group into an early pit cease. Ferrari, then again, hit their efficiency peak exactly on this part of the race, with Charles Leclerc being the quickest on monitor.
The Ferrari drivers skilled just about no degradation, and Lewis Hamilton was actually the quickest on monitor shortly earlier than the Security Automobile was deployed. On this part, nevertheless, the Monegasque driver suffered from the turbulence in George Russell’s slipstream, which prevented him from managing overheating. The Monegasque’s aim was to finish the overtake on the Brit rapidly, however Mercedes’ robust finish of straight velocity prevented it.
Bahrain GP third stint: Ferrari suffers from extreme degradation on the Exhausting
Lastly, let’s concentrate on the final part of the Bahrain Grand Prix after the Security Automobile. On medium tyres, Oscar Piastri confirmed all of McLaren’s dominance on this monitor, with the Australian lapping over half a second sooner per lap than his rivals. The cooler temperatures in comparison with Saturday restricted this benefit, which had appeared larger in the course of the free observe classes.
Lando Norris didn’t present the identical efficiency as his McLaren teammate, being slowed first by Charles Leclerc after which by George Russell. All different automobiles struggled with tyre degradation administration in a stint run in dash race mode. Because the telemetry information additionally confirms, each Ferrari drivers did not handle the wear and tear of the toughest compound. The Maranello automotive was closely restricted by understeer which, as Lewis Hamilton confirmed over the radio, prevented the mandatory rotation to get essentially the most out of the automotive. The difficulty lies within the issue of preserving the toughest compound at optimum temperature, thus limiting the grip accessible to the drivers.
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