AutoGear
  • Latest News
  • AutoGear TV
  • Sustainable Mobility
  • Motorsports
    • Circuits
    • Rally
    • Rally raid
    • WEC
  • English
    • Português
    • Italiano
    • Français
    • Español
    • English
    • Deutsch
    • 日本語
  • STANDINGS
No Result
View All Result
AutoGear
  • Latest News
  • AutoGear TV
  • Sustainable Mobility
  • Motorsports
    • Circuits
    • Rally
    • Rally raid
    • WEC
  • English
    • Português
    • Italiano
    • Français
    • Español
    • English
    • Deutsch
    • 日本語
  • STANDINGS
No Result
View All Result
AutoGear

Charles Leclerc Clears Air on Ferrari SF-25 Balance Issues: A Perspective from Pre-Season Testing

Carl Harrison by Carl Harrison
March 13, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
Charles Leclerc Clears Air on Ferrari SF-25 Balance Issues: A Perspective from Pre-Season Testing

Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 13, 2025 Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit ahead of the Australian Grand Prix REUTERS/Tracey Nearmy

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari’s star driver, has brought clarity to the swirling speculations regarding the alleged balance issues plaguing the team’s 2025 Formula 1 vehicle during the pre-season trials. The rumor mill has been busy spinning tales of Ferrari’s imminent struggle in the upcoming season, but Leclerc’s recent statements tell a different story.

Ferrari has been widely anticipated as a strong contender for the title, courtesy of their near win in the 2024 Constructors’ Championship. The pre-season testing results from Bahrain corroborated this expectation, showcasing the Italian automobile giant’s competitive edge. Leclerc, along with his new co-driver Lewis Hamilton, clocked impressive timings, securing second and third positions, respectively.

However, murmurs began to surface about the Ferrari SF-25, the team’s latest offering, struggling under certain conditions. The vehicle, which boasts a raft of significant modifications from its predecessor, was reported to have balance issues. Leclerc confirmed that there were areas that needed improvement, especially in terms of optimizing the car’s balance. This confirmation was quickly construed as a glaring limitation of the SF-25.

Leclerc, however, has been quick to dispel these misinterpretations. He explained that the perceived balance problems arose from the team’s specific run programme, which was designed to evaluate different setup options rather than seeking to rectify balance issues. He added, “So we’ve tested and went through a lot of different directions in terms of set-up to try and understand which are the directions we need to push for this first race and to understand the car.”

In the limited practice time allocated to teams, Ferrari opted to focus on aggressive configurations to better understand the vehicle’s potential. Leclerc and Hamilton utilized the two-week interlude post-testing to work on the SF-25’s balance, using the Maranello-based team’s simulator.

Leclerc emphasized that balancing the car is not the main challenge. The real difficulty lies in navigating the multiple philosophical directions one could adopt with the new cars, which cannot be explored during race weekends due to their drastic impact on the car’s feel.

Leclerc is confident that the work done on the simulator will prove beneficial during free practices. He concluded by saying, “I mean, we already did a lot of work on that on the simulator and we’ll try and build on what we’ve learned in the simulator here during the free practices.”

Therefore, it’s evident that Ferrari’s approach is more exploratory than corrective, aiming to unlock the full potential of the SF-25 rather than hastily ironing out perceived flaws. The true assessment of the SF-25’s performance will only be revealed during the actual races, putting the conjectures to rest.

Share212Tweet133Send

Related Posts

Max Verstappen’s Fate Hangs in Balance as Red Bull Star Braces for F1 Revolution
Motorsports

Max Verstappen’s Fate Hangs in Balance as Red Bull Star Braces for F1 Revolution

Formula One F1 - Hungarian Grand Prix - Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary - August 1, 2025 Mechanics work on the car...

by Virgilio Machado
August 2, 2025
Oscar Piastri Dominates FP3, Leaves Lando Norris Trailing in Thrilling F1 Hungarian Showdown
Motorsports

Oscar Piastri Dominates FP3, Leaves Lando Norris Trailing in Thrilling F1 Hungarian Showdown

Formula One F1 - Hungarian Grand Prix - Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary - August 2, 2025 McLaren's Oscar Piastri during practice...

by James Taylor
August 2, 2025
Unleashing Fury: McLaren Dominates F1 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix FP3 with Oscar Piastri Reigning
Motorsports

Unleashing Fury: McLaren Dominates F1 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix FP3 with Oscar Piastri Reigning

Formula One F1 - Hungarian Grand Prix - Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary - August 1, 2025 McLaren's Oscar Piastri in action...

by Arthur Ling
August 2, 2025
Kalle Rovanpera Overcomes Puncture Peril to Dominate WRC Rally Finland Morning Stages
Motorsports

Kalle Rovanpera Overcomes Puncture Peril to Dominate WRC Rally Finland Morning Stages

Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content Pool

by Arthur Ling
August 2, 2025

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent News

Max Verstappen’s Fate Hangs in Balance as Red Bull Star Braces for F1 Revolution

Max Verstappen’s Fate Hangs in Balance as Red Bull Star Braces for F1 Revolution

August 2, 2025
Oscar Piastri Dominates FP3, Leaves Lando Norris Trailing in Thrilling F1 Hungarian Showdown

Oscar Piastri Dominates FP3, Leaves Lando Norris Trailing in Thrilling F1 Hungarian Showdown

August 2, 2025
Unleashing Fury: McLaren Dominates F1 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix FP3 with Oscar Piastri Reigning

Unleashing Fury: McLaren Dominates F1 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix FP3 with Oscar Piastri Reigning

August 2, 2025
Kalle Rovanpera Overcomes Puncture Peril to Dominate WRC Rally Finland Morning Stages

Kalle Rovanpera Overcomes Puncture Peril to Dominate WRC Rally Finland Morning Stages

August 2, 2025

Newsletter

  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TECHNICAL INFORMATION
  • EDITORIAL STATUS
  • TERMS AND CONDITIONS

© 2023 AutoGear - Todos os direitos reservados AutoGear.

No Result
View All Result
  • Latest News
  • AutoGear TV
  • Sustainable Mobility
  • Motorsports
    • Circuits
    • Rally
    • Rally raid
    • WEC
  • English
    • Português
    • Italiano
    • Français
    • Español
    • English
    • Deutsch
    • 日本語

© 2023 AutoGear - Todos os direitos reservados AutoGear.

Enable Notifications OK No thanks