Ferrari shocked everybody at the Austin Grand Prix, turning a tough Friday right into a weekend to recollect. What initially appeared like one other uphill battle ended with a podium and a robust fourth place — a outcome that would sign an actual turning level for the Scuderia because it heads to Mexico, and presumably past.
The 2025 United States Grand Prix marked a strong comeback for Ferrari, bringing again smiles to the Maranello storage. After a particularly difficult begin to the weekend, the Italian workforce managed to rework what appeared a misplaced trigger into one among their strongest performances of the season — a 3rd and fourth place end achieved by technical braveness and flawless teamwork.
Free follow periods had proven an SF-25 struggling badly for grip and steadiness. Charles Leclerc was compelled to cease resulting from a transmission failure, whereas the automotive as a complete appeared off the tempo. The Dash qualifying session solely made issues worse, with Lewis Hamilton qualifying eighth and Leclerc tenth — each practically a full second behind the entrance runners. It appeared like Ferrari was heading for an additional powerful weekend.
A podium that would pave the way in which for victory in Mexico?
The turnaround got here throughout Saturday’s Dash Race, the place Ferrari all of a sudden appeared much more aggressive. Admittedly, the eliminations of 4 automobiles forward of the Scuderia — Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Nico Hülkenberg and Fernando Alonso — helped the comeback, however the race tempo, significantly in the course of the green-flag stints, was genuinely spectacular. Information collected by Matteo Togninalli and his observe engineering workforce confirmed that Ferrari’s tyre administration was among the many greatest on the grid.
The important thing to this revival lay in a daring technical adjustment. Based on insights from Franco Nugnes, after the parc fermé reopened, Ferrari determined to take a danger by decreasing the journey peak of the SF-25. The workforce had initially been overly cautious, fearing injury to the ground on Austin’s notoriously bumpy and water-deformed asphalt. Whereas Purple Bull and McLaren opted to lift their automobiles to guard the plank from extreme put on, Ferrari went the other way — selecting efficiency over warning. The outcome was a automotive that gained each downforce and straight-line velocity.
A daring setup and an ideal technique
The end result of that gamble was spectacular: the SF-25 proved secure, responsive, and quick. In qualifying, Charles Leclerc missed out on a front-row begin by simply six thousandths of a second behind Lando Norris — a spot that appeared unthinkable solely a day earlier. Ferrari’s pit wall executed the technique with precision, timing the runs completely to make sure clear preparation laps and optimum tyre temperatures.
Through the race, Charles Leclerc took full benefit of the comfortable tyre compound at the beginning to overhaul Lando Norris and instantly insert himself among the many main group. Solely within the ultimate laps, when the softs started to degrade, was the British driver in a position to reclaim second place. Nonetheless, Charles Leclerc’s drive was clear, constant, and strategically mature — proof of the regular progress Ferrari has made.
Lewis Hamilton, in the meantime, was barely much less snug with the automotive’s aggressive setup however nonetheless managed to safe a invaluable fourth place, ending forward of Oscar Piastri. The double top-four outcome marked a serious step ahead for the Scuderia and a big morale increase for everybody in Maranello.
Confidence restored and eyes on Mexico
This outcome confirms the power of the work carried out beneath workforce principal Frédéric Vasseur, who continues to have the total help of Ferrari chairman John Elkann. After a number of tough weeks, the workforce demonstrated tangible progress in each efficiency and technical reactivity — one thing that might be essential for the subsequent part of the season.
Now, consideration turns to the Mexico Grand Prix, held at an altitude of over 2,200 meters. The thinner air might current contemporary challenges but additionally new alternatives for the SF-25, which has confirmed its potential to adapt and reply shortly to demanding situations. It was in Mexico, precisely a yr in the past, that Ferrari final celebrated victory with Carlos Sainz — and the Maranello workforce is set to make historical past repeat itself.
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