Why the newest Ferrari vehicles battle in moist circumstances
After a promising begin to the weekend, Ferrari discovered itself struggling once more underneath moist circumstances. Lewis Hamilton made errors and can begin final in what has been a troublesome season, whereas Charles Leclerc appeared annoyed: “This was one in all my strengths. Since I joined Ferrari, the issue has all the time been the identical—the automotive merely doesn’t work within the moist. It’s beginning to really feel a bit lengthy…”
Charles Leclerc’s post-qualifying remark nearly appeared like an oblique response to John Elkann’s public criticism. In moist circumstances, mechanical grip usually outweighs aerodynamic effectivity. The usable vary of suspension journey, chassis stiffness, and general setup performs a key position, significantly in managing experience peak and the aerodynamic penalties of the automotive lifting off the bottom. There’s no single system, and Venturi-effect vehicles specifically are extraordinarily delicate: a moist tire raises experience peak by a number of millimeters, which already reduces downforce. At Las Vegas, with its low downforce necessities, even a well-designed automotive wants barely increased tire pressures to generate ample warmth—one other issue that additional will increase experience peak.
This phenomenon will not be new. It was already noticed through the TD39 period and was compounded by the late 2023 regulation modifications that disrupted Ferrari’s idea. A Ferrari engineer in Maranello as soon as defined that “it depends upon the way you design the automotive, and the experience peak ranges you goal throughout growth simulations.” In follow, it comes right down to the place downforce is maximized and the way a lot grip may be extracted from the tires. For years, Ferrari’s vehicles have been out of vary: poor traction and light-weight nook entry, particularly with intermediates at excessive pace on low grip surfaces. Moist circumstances are barely much less dramatic as a result of decrease speeds cut back the issue and the softer sidewall dampens extreme responsiveness. Tires heat up quicker, and the usable window on blue-band moist tires drops by 20 levels. Even when Ferrari vehicles had been sturdy on curbs, they might not stay optimum on damp tracks. The F1-75 was the one automotive with enough downforce earlier than the directive modifications.
Yesterday’s qualifying in Las Vegas, much like Silverstone, uncovered the SF-25’s weak spot within the moist whereas the automotive carried out properly in dry circumstances. This implies that Ferrari might have prioritized stiffness for high-speed corners at extraordinarily low experience heights, which restricts setup compromises and forces drivers to function as if on ice. Changes to the rear suspension additional stiffened the SF-25, making it arguably the toughest automotive on the grid in comparison with opponents who can run softer setups.
Tire pressures additionally play a significant position, as Frédéric Vasseur has usually highlighted. A notable instance got here in Canada when excessive setups brought on even the succesful SF-24 to battle. At Las Vegas, a mix of those components uncovered each weak spot. Charles Leclerc had to make use of a heavier rear wing to keep away from being eradicated in Q1, and the crew can solely hope for dry circumstances within the race. In the meantime, he’ll face a 5 km/h pace deficit in comparison with Lewis Hamilton’s Monza-spec setup.
Leclerc compelled into damage-limitation mode
Till Maranello accepts that an F1 automotive must be a compromise – not a dry-weather weapon that falls aside the second it rains – Charles Leclerc’s quiet frustration will solely develop louder.
“It’s beginning to get a bit lengthy…” Certainly it’s.
Nov 23, 2025
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