Ferrari are set to test a crucial new rear suspension system for their SF-25 car at Mugello, aiming to address performance issues in the 2025 F1 season.
Drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc took to the Italian circuit on Thursday, for a 200-kilometer filming day, a session permitted under FIA rules for promotional purposes but often used by teams to evaluate upgrades.
The new suspension design is intended to tackle the SF-25’s sensitivity to ride height changes, a problem that has plagued Ferrari throughout the season. This issue forced them to raise the car’s ride height after Hamilton’s disqualification for excessive plank wear at the Chinese Grand Prix, compromising the ground-effect aerodynamics critical for performance.
“We’ve been working hard to stabilize the car’s platform,” Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur said. “This upgrade could unlock new setup options and improve tire performance.”
Ferrari’s recent floor upgrade, introduced at the Austrian Grand Prix, showed promising results, with Leclerc and Hamilton securing third and fourth places. The team now hope the new suspension, featuring a redesigned front upper arm and reconfigured attachment points, will build on this progress.
Simulations suggest the combined floor and suspension upgrades could yield a lap time gain of nearly a tenth of a second, a significant edge in the tight Formula 1 field.
The Mugello test, held before equipment is shipped to Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix on July 27, allows Ferrari to gather critical data. With the Spa weekend being a sprint event, offering just one hour of practice before sprint qualifying, this test is vital for validating the upgrade.
Leclerc emphasized the importance of the session, saying, “Mugello’s high-speed corners and elevation changes are perfect for testing how this suspension behaves. We need to get it right for Spa.”
Ferrari, currently second in the constructors’ championship but trailing McLaren by 238 points, are under pressure to close the gap to their rivals.
Hamilton, who has struggled with the SF-25’s handling, particularly in high-speed corners, expressed cautious optimism: “If this suspension delivers, it could give us the confidence to push harder and fight for wins.”
The Belgian Grand Prix, held over 44 laps of the 7.004-kilometer Spa-Francorchamps circuit, will be the first real test of the new suspension under race conditions.
With McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes already securing victories in 2025, Ferrari are banking on this upgrade to spark a turnaround and keep their championship hopes alive.
