The scene is about for the Miami Grand Prix, the sixth spherical of the 2025 Components 1 championship, as Ferrari desires to substantiate the great issues proven on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit with Charles Leclerc two weeks in the past. Settling for a podium isn’t acceptable when you’re sporting the pink of the Prancing Horse. However, the historic staff is ready for the aerodynamic replace bundle which is about to by launched by the Maranello technicians and engineers within the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix weekend in an effort to make the required step ahead which, if absolutely achieved, might unlock the potential to return to the struggle on the high. That’s the objective. However first comes Florida.
The Miami Worldwide Autodrome is a circuit with a mixture of very quick sections, slower ones, and lengthy straights. A mixture that can undoubtedly make it troublesome to hit the proper working window of the automotive. Excluding McLaren, all the highest groups appear to be fairly depending on how properly their automobiles can adapt. The gaps are minimal, which suggests the grid tightens up and each small element turns into greater than related.
Behind this dangerous and probably sensational-sounding assumption, there are very particular technical causes. Miami is a observe the place Ferrari carried out properly final yr. A podium regardless of being the third-strongest staff of the weekend, behind Pink Bull and McLaren. The anticipated good adaptation to the American observe might enable a smoother strategy than at different circuits.
This with out forgetting that the danger of a brief working window setup-wise is actual. A state of affairs that will pressure the Maranello staff to construct what they themselves name excessive setups. A state of affairs the staff needed to cope with up till the Bahrain Grand Prix. The second issue to contemplate is the temperatures, which in Florida will attain excessive peaks, with the solar itself contributing to the heating of the observe floor.
All these situations might put Pink Bull in hassle, as it’s at present the automotive that requires probably the most work on the setup facet. The RB21 doesn’t carry out properly in extreme warmth, as we noticed in Bahrain. The identical might occur in Florida, to Ferrari’s benefit. Difficulties that may very well be decisive for the Italian staff if they will take full benefit.
Considering that McLaren is a step forward of everybody, there may be additionally Mercedes to contemplate, which can almost certainly be the principle rival of the SF-25 in Miami based mostly on knowledge collected up to now. Nevertheless, the thermal administration of the W16’s tyres will likely be critically examined. On the Bahrain Worldwide Circuit, they managed the compounds properly beneath excessive temperatures, protecting the rear tyre temperatures beneath management. Whereas in Jeddah, the Italian automotive made progress.
Charles Leclerc’s SF-25 had higher tempo than George Russell’s W16 and, general, the automotive from Maranello confirmed much less degradation. It is because the staff discovered a great spot to make the automotive work, but additionally because of a decrease vitality demand on the tyre compound, useful within the race however vital on Saturdays. That’s the reason Ferrari labored on tweaking the steadiness for qualifying to enhance single-lap efficiency.
Within the American weekend, the German staff mustn’t face points in understanding tyre behaviour, because the Dash Race will enable them to assemble correct knowledge on tyre degradation and act accordingly. In comparison with final yr, when Mercedes put an excessive amount of stress on the tyres and solely carried out properly on cooler tracks, now the state of affairs is reversed, they usually have discovered a extra constant steadiness.
The current Components 1 races have proven us that Ferrari is slowly bettering. Cooler situations, like these in Japan, helped each Ferrari and Pink Bull in tyre administration. With increased temperatures and a stop-and-go structure like Bahrain, Mercedes stood out. Whereas in Saudi Arabia, with quick corners and straights, it was the Italian facet’s automotive that emerged. In Miami there are lengthy straights the place tyres quiet down, but additionally quick corners in Sector 1 and slower sections like in Sector 2.
For all these causes, trying on the huge image, all the things will undoubtedly depend upon the steadiness Ferrari can discover to handle tyres thermally. Automotive setup in 2025 is a frighteningly highly effective software, and getting it proper is essential. The Maranello staff has labored arduous on this and, if all the things goes properly, they’re aiming to be the second-best staff on the Miami Worldwide Autodrome.
— see video above —
Purchase official Ferrari F1 merchandise!
Let different Scuderia Followers find out about us
