Ferrari heads into the 2025 Australian Grand Prix under intense scrutiny as leaked details from preseason testing in Bahrain reveal concerning flaws in their SF-25 challenger, raising doubts about the team’s championship prospects. With the most hyped driver pairing on the grid—seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and young star Charles Leclerc—Ferrari faces immense pressure to deliver. However, early data suggests the SF-25’s new design concept might not live up to expectations, leaving fans and analysts questioning whether the Scuderia can compete with dominant forces like McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes in Melbourne. As the season opener looms, the spotlight is on whether Hamilton and Leclerc can overcome the car’s limitations and position Ferrari as a serious contender.

The SF-25 was introduced with a bold concept change, aimed at extracting more performance from the current regulations before the 2026 overhaul. A key update includes the adoption of a pull-rod front suspension, designed to improve the car’s handling in front-limited tracks like Melbourne. On paper, this should allow for more aggressive braking and earlier acceleration, minimizing oversteer and giving drivers like Leclerc, known for his blistering qualifying pace, an edge. However, the Bahrain tests exposed critical weaknesses, particularly in the car’s rear-end stability and tire degradation. Hamilton, in particular, struggled to complete a full race simulation on the final day due to excessive tire wear, a worrying sign for a team aiming to challenge for both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships.

Ferrari’s simulator work and initial projections painted an optimistic picture, but the on-track reality in Bahrain fell short. Reports close to the team indicate that while the Scuderia remains “borderline satisfied” with the data gathered, the results have kept them on edge. The SF-25’s operating window appears alarmingly narrow—a common issue with the current generation of ground-effect cars. When the car hits its sweet spot, it can unlock significant performance gains, potentially up to a second per lap. But as Leclerc cautioned, even slight changes in track conditions, like a few degrees in asphalt temperature, can throw the car off balance, accelerating tire degradation and compromising race pace. This unpredictability could prove to be Ferrari’s Achilles’ heel unless they address it swiftly.

Despite the challenges, there are glimmers of hope. Leclerc, ever the optimist, emphasized the potential of the SF-25’s new direction, noting that the suspension change has “opened a new door for development.” While he admitted it’s too early to predict outright victories in Melbourne, he believes the numbers are trending positively, even if results on the track haven’t fully materialized. The Monegasque driver also issued a sobering reminder that being the strongest duo on paper doesn’t guarantee success, stressing the need for consistent improvements throughout the season. Meanwhile, Hamilton, adapting to Ferrari after over a decade at Mercedes, expressed cautious optimism about his early impressions. “I’m really enjoying the car,” he told reporters. “We’re slowly bonding, testing a bunch of things, and bit by bit eking out a little more each time.” His focus during testing was less on setup changes and more on building rapport with his new engineering team, a process he described as exploratory.

The competition, however, isn’t standing still. McLaren emerged from Bahrain as the team to beat, with Red Bull and Mercedes also showing formidable pace. Ferrari risks losing ground in the constructors’ championship if they can’t iron out the SF-25’s issues quickly. Adding to the complexity, the team faces a strategic dilemma: continue investing resources in the 2025 car or shift focus to the 2026 regulations, which promise a major shakeup. This decision, likely to be made early in the season, could define Ferrari’s trajectory for years to come.

Melbourne offers a fresh opportunity for Ferrari to capitalize on the SF-25’s strengths, particularly its front-end grip, which should suit the Albert Park circuit’s layout. However, with limited testing time to fully understand the car’s behavior, the team may need to rely heavily on the talent of Leclerc and Hamilton to adapt on the fly. Both drivers have a proven track record of extracting performance from suboptimal machinery—Leclerc with his pole positions in 2024 despite an uncompetitive car, and Hamilton with his resilience during Mercedes’ lean years. If any duo can navigate these early hurdles, it’s them.

As Ferrari prepares for the season opener, the SF-25’s teething problems loom large. Will the car’s narrow operating window derail their championship hopes, or can Leclerc and Hamilton defy the odds and deliver a statement result in Australia? The answers will start to unfold when the lights go out in Melbourne, but one thing is clear: Ferrari’s 2025 campaign is off to a rocky start, and the road ahead promises to be anything but smooth.