We now have reached the Mexican Grand Prix weekend, and as soon as once more the identical recurring elements in Formulation 1 are influencing the efficiency of the Ferrari SF-25: the fragile administration of journey heights, the positive steadiness between aerodynamic and mechanical setup compromises, and the ever-crucial administration of tyre temperatures. Confidence, nonetheless, stays robust throughout the Scuderia Ferrari camp. The group arrives on the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez with renewed optimism and a optimistic mindset, boosted by the encouraging efficiency and aggressive step ahead displayed on the earlier spherical in Texas. But, in Mexico Metropolis, there are a number of decisive components on which the Maranello group merely can not afford to make errors, as even small misjudgments may show expensive over the course of the demanding weekend.
Constructive indicators stay for Ferrari regardless of uncertainties
Ferrari approaches the Mexican Grand Prix after a race weekend that was, not less than partially, advanced and considerably troublesome to interpret. It was an occasion that left even the Maranello engineers and strategists trying to find solutions, as the info and suggestions from the drivers didn’t all the time align completely. Though the Italian group secured a useful podium end, the overall feeling throughout the Ferrari storage is that the total understanding of the automobile’s dynamic behaviour and its unpredictable reactions on totally different compounds and observe surfaces nonetheless eludes them.
Charles Leclerc’s feedback on Saturday night have been significantly revealing on this regard. The Monegasque driver overtly acknowledged the progress made however was fast to level out that the minor aerodynamic and mechanical updates launched to the automobile couldn’t, on their very own, justify the marked enchancment witnessed on observe. This highlights as soon as once more how advanced and temperamental these fashionable Formulation 1 automobiles are—machines that usually defy easy explanations. Fluctuations in efficiency, even throughout consecutive classes, stay a thriller that continues to problem each drivers and engineers.
Given this context, the high-altitude Mexican circuit may nonetheless supply one other useful alternative for Ferrari to extract robust efficiency and consolidate the good points made in latest races. The technical workers from Maranello all the time begin their weekend evaluation with a glance again at historic information, utilizing it as a reference level to grasp the automobile’s potential at every venue. It’s price recalling that in final 12 months’s Mexican Grand Prix weekend, Carlos Sainz managed to safe pole place with the Ferrari SF-24. Due to the transitional design philosophy connecting final season’s automobile to the present SF-25, among the elementary strengths and operational traits of the previous mannequin ought to, not less than in principle, nonetheless be current on this 12 months’s package deal.
SF-25: the persevering with subject with quick corners
From a purely technical standpoint, the circuit devoted to the Rodríguez brothers is famend for its blended structure and excessive calls for on each engine and chassis. It options a number of lengthy straights that check prime velocity and energy unit effectivity, alternating with a diversified assortment of corners that differ in radius, camber, and entry velocity. Specifically, the second sector of the observe is dominated by a sequence of medium to high-speed corners the place aerodynamic load performs a completely decisive position in sustaining stability and downforce effectivity. The ultimate sector, against this, shifts the emphasis in the direction of mechanical grip and traction, because the automobile should carry out nicely by slower corners and over bumps.
This makes it important for the Ferrari engineers to discover a delicate and well-judged equilibrium between aerodynamic effectivity and mechanical compliance—a technical steadiness achieved by a collection of refined setup compromises. Wanting again on the early a part of the 2025 Formulation 1 season, this very facet represented one of many fundamental limitations of the SF-25. The automobile usually struggled to keep up a constant steadiness when observe temperatures or situations modified. Nevertheless, the efficiency displayed on the Circuit of the Americas in Texas appeared to recommend that Ferrari has managed to take a real step ahead on this regard, increasing the automobile’s operational window and enhancing its adaptability to totally different observe sorts.
Even with that progress, predicting precisely how the Italian automobile will behave in Mexico stays a fancy problem. The skinny air brought on by the excessive altitude of Mexico Metropolis has a direct affect on each aerodynamics and cooling, that means that each small variation in setup can drastically have an effect on tyre put on and downforce ranges. It will subsequently be unwise to imagine {that a} podium end will robotically be repeated. What is definite, nonetheless, is that each throughout final season and within the latest race at Austin, Ferrari confirmed a level of vulnerability in high-speed corners, the place the automobile tended to lose stability and consistency of grip.
Consequently, it’s fairly doubtless that the engineers from Maranello will arrange the SF-25 to prioritize straight-line velocity and traction out of gradual corners, traits that might show decisive in preventing in opposition to Purple Bull, McLaren, and Mercedes. In a season the place marginal good points could make all of the distinction, these traits may flip into useful weapons for defending or attacking on observe.
One other potential robust level for the Ferrari SF-25 lies in its capability to deal with curb driving effectively—that’s, the power of the automobile to soak up the kerbs throughout cornering with out dropping steadiness or traction. This factor may show particularly helpful within the first sector of the circuit, the place precision and stability when operating over the kerbs can result in important time good points. On the aerodynamic entrance, it is vitally doubtless that Ferrari will as soon as once more use the medium-to-high downforce rear configuration that has been adopted within the final two Grands Prix. This setup has now turn into a central and constant a part of the group’s technical philosophy, providing an excellent compromise between velocity and downforce.
Tyre administration stays the decisive issue of the weekend
In the case of tyres—the second main efficiency variable of the Mexican weekend—there’s nonetheless a elementary query mark hanging over the Scuderia. It’s changing into more and more clear that a part of the SF-25’s fluctuating efficiency from session to session might originate from the automobile’s inconsistent thermal administration of its tyres. Inside this context, Ferrari’s problem shall be twofold. In essentially the most technical and twisty sections of the circuit, tyre temperatures on each axles are inclined to rise rapidly, making it troublesome for the drivers to keep up the perfect working window over a race stint.
In distinction, through the last sector, the frequent wheelspin generated throughout nook exits may cause a harmful spike in rear tyre temperatures, which ends up in accelerated degradation and a lack of traction. On the similar time, the lengthy fundamental straights typical of the Mexican structure permit the entrance tyres to chill down an excessive amount of, which may end up in a sudden imbalance as soon as the automobile enters the subsequent braking zone. It’s a well-known sample—one which Ferrari has already encountered on a number of events in previous seasons.
It’s price remembering that final 12 months, the Italian group struggled considerably to get the entrance tyres as much as temperature at first of the primary sector, an element that compromised total efficiency and restricted lap time potential. This problem has traditionally been certainly one of Ferrari’s weak spots, significantly on circuits the place speedy transitions between gradual and quick corners are frequent.
For the upcoming race weekend, subsequently, the important thing to unlocking Ferrari’s potential on the Mexican Grand Prix may very nicely lie within the group’s potential to grasp the unstable thermal steadiness that continues to characterize the SF-25. Discovering a approach to management temperature fluctuations and forestall the tyres from overheating—or cooling down an excessive amount of—shall be completely important.
In Texas, the group from Maranello managed this facet admirably, beginning already from the Saturday classes, when each Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have been in a position to extract stable efficiency on each the medium and tender compounds. The progress seen there has given the engineers confidence that the improved tyre administration method might be replicated. The hope now could be that these classes realized on the Circuit of the Americas might be successfully transferred to the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
Ferrari is aware of that Mexico represents a novel check for each group, as a result of its excessive altitude, skinny air, and unpredictable observe evolution. Engine efficiency, aerodynamic effectivity, and thermal administration all face further stress below these situations. For a automobile just like the Ferrari SF-25, which depends closely on retaining tyre temperatures below management, this race may turn into an actual check of engineering self-discipline and adaptableness.
If Ferrari can keep the momentum it inbuilt Texas, preserve each drivers throughout the optimum efficiency window, and handle tyre degradation extra persistently than its fundamental rivals, there’s each motive to consider that one other robust end result may very well be inside attain. But, as all the time in Formulation 1, success will rely upon executing each small element to perfection.
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