Ferrari is preparing to introduce upgrades to the SF-25 during next weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, team boss Fred Vasseur revealed. These modifications aim to improve the car’s performance as the Scuderia tries to regain competitiveness amid a challenging season.
Although Vasseur confirmed that the updates will be implemented soon, he tempered expectations about their immediate impact, highlighting that precise execution often matters more than the hardware improvements themselves. The focus is on fine-tuning, especially given that this marks the final phase of the current regulations.
Focus on Suspension and Stability Adjustments
Recent Ferrari development has been limited, mostly revolving around minor tweaks rather than significant upgrades. However, that is expected to shift with the Austrian Grand Prix marking the beginning of more notable changes. Speculation points toward revisions in the SF-25’s rear pullrod suspension system, which has presented stability issues after Ferrari transitioned from pushrod to pullrod suspension during the winter.
The intention behind these adjustments is to enable the car to operate more effectively within a performance-optimized ride height window. Ferrari has faced challenges in this area, especially after Lewis Hamilton’s disqualification from the Chinese Grand Prix for excessive plank wear linked to running the car too low.
We will have an upgrade soon, before the UK. And, perhaps, another one a bit later,
Vasseur stated following the Canadian Grand Prix.
Now, we are at the end of the life of these regulations, and we all know that, when we are bringing something on track, we are more speaking about hundredths than tenths.
This commentary underlines the incremental nature of improvements expected as teams fine-tune their cars during this concluding phase of the current technical rules.
Challenges in Executing Upgrades Effectively
Vasseur emphasized that flawless execution and optimal car setup are crucial to extracting maximum performance from these upgrades. In some cases, teams require several races to fully adapt to new updates, particularly when the car’s behavior changes.
If you don’t do a good usage of the car because the set-up is a bit different, you can lose tenths,
he explained, highlighting how crucial adaptation is in maintaining competitiveness.
A couple of times, on our side at least – and we are not the only one – when we brought upgrades in the past, we needed one or two races to adapt the car, to adapt the set-up to the new version,
he added.
Honestly, I think that, and I want to put the focus on the team, there is much more [to come from] the execution than the pure potential of the car. But we will bring something.
When asked about Ferrari’s chances in Austria, Vasseur expressed cautious optimism, recalling how they managed strong performances in Monaco earlier in the season.
We have to target doing this. But if we want to achieve, if we want to start from the first rows, and to have a clean weekend like Monaco, we need to do a very smooth weekend in terms of execution. It’s where we failed massively in Canada.
Lewis Hamilton Reflects on Car Performance and Need for Upgrades
Lewis Hamilton, having qualified fifth and finished sixth in Canada, addressed ongoing struggles with various elements of the car during race weekends. Despite improvements in recent sessions, he has noted issues such as inconsistent downforce caused by fluctuating floor or rear wing behavior.
But we had a good, solid day yesterday, and then today we made progress. We didn’t change a huge amount, and the car felt solid. We moved forward, which I think is a first for this season. So I’m grateful to get through to Q3,
Hamilton said, acknowledging the positive steps made.
Hamilton has actively adapted his driving style to help bridge performance gaps, but he emphasizes the urgent need for Ferrari to deliver technical upgrades if it hopes to challenge the leading teams consistently.
He characterized the current season‘s performance gains as incremental and underscored the absence of any recent upgrades contributing to the current car package.
So we work on trying things, and bit by bit, we are making progress. We’re improving our qualifying from Monaco onwards, which is positive. Ultimately, we need upgrades. We need an upgrade to be able to fight the guys up front.
With Formula 1 teams balancing the effort between improving this season‘s cars and developing next year’s revolutionary models, Hamilton’s priority lies in building a winning car for the future regulations.
It’s my first half of the year in a new team. It’s interesting to see how different teams work and operate,
he reflected.
There’ve been times in my career where you’ve had a whole bunch of upgrades very, very early on in the season, and you plow ahead very early, then you stop and taper off, and then sometimes it’s been slower. It’s also, in the last year of this generation of cars, harder to find performance, and you could, at least, focus on the next year.
The fact is, with this car, we hopefully can still fight for a second in the Constructors’, which would be great, but I want a car that can win next year, so that’s priority.
Looking Ahead: The Stakes for Ferrari and Hamilton
As Ferrari prepares to deploy upgrades on the SF-25, Lewis Hamilton remains hopeful that these improvements will help the team close the gap to the front-runners. The Austrian Grand Prix will serve as a critical test for the new parts and the team’s ability to adapt quickly under pressure. Any gains, though likely measured in tiny fractions, could have important consequences for the rest of the season.
In parallel, Ferrari and Hamilton are already setting sights on building a stronger contender for the 2026 F1 season, when new rules promise to reshape the competitive landscape. Success in Austria and the following races will require not only better car performance but also flawless execution—a combination that Ferrari must achieve if it is to challenge for major honors.
