By James Broughton, June 12, 2025
According to multiple rumours, at Lewis Hamilton’s request, Ferrari has decided to halt development of the SF-25, with work set to cease at the end of June. While it’s not uncommon for teams to shift focus mid-season, it is unusually early for such a decision making Ferrari’s move is particularly surprising. It’s essentially an admission that the SF-25 has failed to build on the momentum generated by the competitive SF-24. However, the claim that Hamilton pressured the team to stop development of the SF-25 in favor of focusing on the 2026 car is somewhat hard to believe.
Firstly, during slow news weeks, some F1 journalists tend to fabricate stories to justify their relevance. This phenomenon is traditionally referred to as the “F1 crazy season,” which used to run from mid-July through September. These days, however, crazy season seems to occur year-round. Ferrari, being a deeply structured institution with a hierarchical way of operating, is unlikely to make such a major decision at the behest of a single driver in just one meeting. The idea that Hamilton alone convinced the team to abandon the SF-25 is fanciful, to say the least.
If any decision to stop development was made, it would have originated at the board level, involving input from the team principal and technical director, along with contributions from engineers and driver feedback. Moreover, significant resources would need to be reallocated, and extensive cost-benefit analyses would be required before committing to such a move.
Regardless, Ferrari has struggled this season. The team introduced a new suspension setup for the SF-25 in an effort to close the gap to McLaren, but instead, the gap has widened. The one outlier was the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint race, which Hamilton won. However, that victory also highlighted a significant flaw in the SF-25’s suspension and ride height, forcing Ferrari to make further adjustments.
The SF-25 needs to run at a higher ride height than rival cars to prevent excessive plank wear. This elevated ride height has severely compromised Ferrari’s lap times—especially in the current ground-effect era, where lower ride heights translate into better aerodynamic performance. Despite this, Ferrari still sits second in the Constructors’ Championship, though they trail the runaway leaders McLaren by 197 points.
That said, Ferrari isn’t giving up just yet. The team is working on a revised suspension setup expected to debut in the second half of the season. If Ferrari can resolve the ride height issue, they may finally unlock the significant pace that lies dormant within the SF-25.