19/04/2025 09:45
Ferrari's new rear-wing specification for Saudi Arabia features
modifications to the main profile, the flap and a new beam wing
design to that which was deployed last weekend in Bahrain. In
essence, the upgrades are purely track-specific upgrades to adapt
to the characteristics of the Jeddah track, which requires minimal
downforce and maximum aerodynamic efficiency - or the least amount
of drag possible. Nevertheless, it is worth highlighting how these
upgrades have a direct relationship with the adoption of minimum
ride heights to increase load and thus downforce that is created.
The load which is produced by the low-pressure area generated under
the car is "zero cost", in that it does not produce huge amounts of
drag, therefore in Jeddah, as low a ride-height as possible
constitutes the logical choice to maximise performance, which in
turn is helped by the smooth track surface. This allows the ride
height to the taken to the extreme, which follows the design
direction Ferrari developed with its SF-25 machine, but which in
previous races has proven to be too extreme, thus creating a narrow
performance window for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Hamilton
was able to access the performance locked within by claiming the
Sprint pole and win in China, where the car found its most
favourable conditions. For Jeddah, Ferrari started its simulations
from the same baseline as the 2024 car, with which Leclerc finished
third, taking the same ride height and rear-wing settings,
including the minimal possible configurations for the chord and
beam wings, and combining these to still allow for the best
possible air extraction from the diffuser. Article continues
below. Lewis Hamilton's struggles Nevertheless, it is important to
note how Hamilton struggled on Friday, on a track, which on paper,
would not have the characteristics to place the car in what could
be described as a 'crisis' mode. He placed 13th in FP2, 1.104s
behind pace-setter Lando Norris in the McLaren, but more
significantly, some seven-tenths behind fourth-placed Leclerc.
After the Bahrain GP, Hamilton declared that he was struggling with
adapting to the engine braking of the Ferrari, something he had not
used in 12 seasons at Mercedes, with RacingNews365's sources
indicating that the Ferrari system is much more invasive than the
Mercedes. The Ferrari systems are forcing Hamilton to brake in an
unnatural way to his 'brake hard and late' approach he has carried
throughout his career, and which was finely tuned after using
Mercedes engines and power units for his entire career until
joining the Scuderia. It is a significant problem for Hamilton as
it is not possible for the team to find a solution to the problem
in either vehicle dynamics or aerodynamics. Even changes to the
power unit software would only bring a marginal improvement.
Ferrari could make sweeping changes to the software to aid
Hamilton's adjustments, but the onus is on the seven-time champion
to adjust and adapt his driving style to meet the demands of the
Ferrari power unit - and make it as similar as he can to Leclerc to
exploit the full potential of the Ferrari package.
