Ferrari In-Depth: Why Hamilton and Leclerc have high hopes for SF-25
F1 NewsThursday, 20 February 2025 at 12:00
Scuderia Ferrari officially launched its 2025 Formula 1 challenger, the SF-25, at a high-profile event at London’s O2 Arena, marking the beginning of the new season.
The unveiling was attended by CEO Benedetto Vigna, Team Principal Fred Vasseur, drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, as well as key figures from the team’s partners. The latest Ferrari F1 car made its debut at Fiorano on Wednesday, completing a private shakedown before heading to Bahrain for pre-season testing from 26 to 28 February.
Before the shakedown Ferrari media team released photos of the new car, as well as interviews with key players in the team, drivers and team boss included
Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur expressed confidence in the SF-25 and the team’s prospects for the season ahead, saying: "The launch of this new car is a very exciting and proud moment for everyone in the team.
"Months of hard work have gone into this SF-25 thanks to the dedicated efforts of everyone in the team at Maranello."
Vasseur: We are excited to see the fruit of our labours take shape
The Frenchman continued: "Last season, we fought for the Constructors’ title to the very last corner and now we are determined to build on that, starting from that solid base with the aim of winning both titles."
Vasseur also highlighted the arrival of Hamilton and the strength of the new driver pairing that includes Leclerc, commenting: "We have a new driver line-up with Lewis joining Charles, and we feel ready as a team to take the extra step required to be the best. We are aware of the challenges that await us.
"We are ready to give it our all, to be competitive at the highest level, knowing we can also rely on the support and enthusiasm of our fans, who always inspire us. Now it’s time to concentrate on the job in hand and let the track do the talking. I can’t wait for this season to start," the Frenchman declared.
The SF-25 follows the naming pattern of recent years, but Ferrari Technical Director Chassis Loic Serra emphasised that the car is almost entirely new.
He explained: "The SF-25 is an evolution of the SF-24, which gave us an excellent starting point to work from. Having said that, we have worked hard, changing 99% of the car, evolving its architecture to maximise performance.
Serra: The pull rod front suspension is only the most obvious of many significant changes.
"We can expect the coming season to be very closely contested, with outcomes decided by thousandths of a second. We are all set to give it our best shot to find those gains, even the marginal ones, that can make the difference. We are looking forward to being competitive right from the very first race," the Ferrari engineer concluded.
While the power unit regulations have been frozen since 2022, Technical Director PU Enrico Gualtieri explained that Ferrari has found ways to optimise performance, revealing: "This moment is the culmination of weeks of hard work and determination, and we are very enthusiastic about the coming season.
"The 2025 power unit has been developed in the context of regulations that have been frozen since 2022, but we have remained as fully committed as ever to extracting the maximum from each of its components. We have worked hard on all control strategies and procedures to ensure that every component can function at every track and event.
"Reliability remains a top priority, and we have continued to focus on preparation, quality, and consistency so that we can perform at the highest level on track.
"The 2025 season presents some unique challenges, but we are ready to face them, having paid obsessive attention to every detail. We are confident that the SF-25 will allow us to achieve our goals," insisted Gualtieri .
Leclerc and Hamilton begin a new journey
Heading into his tenth season in F1, Leclerc is aiming to go one step further in 2025, having narrowly missed out on the title last season. He said: "I’m really excited about the launch of the SF-25. Every year we push hard to improve, and the whole team has been working flat out for months now.
"Last season saw a really tight fight, and we came very close to taking the title. This year, our goal is clear: we want to win the Constructors’ World Championship, and my personal target is to win the Drivers’ Title."
The Monegasque driver also spoke about Hamilton’s arrival at the team, he aded: "Since Lewis joined the team, we have already been working very closely together, and I believe that his experience and approach will prove to be a source of inspiration for me.
"I am physically and mentally more than ready to face this new season, and I can’t wait to get on track to do everything I can to put Scuderia Ferrari HP back on top," 27-year-old Leclerc concluded.
Hamilton: I couldn’t be prouder to be on this journey with Ferrari
Seven-time F1 world champion, 40-year-old Hamilton, who joins Ferrari after an illustrious career at Mercedes, was equally enthused about his first season with the Scuderia.
He said: "My first few weeks have been absolutely incredible, and I’ve seen first-hand the passion and dedication of the entire team, so the unveiling today of my first-ever Scuderia Ferrari HP car is really exciting.
"So much hard work has gone into preparing for the season ahead, and we couldn’t be more hungry or determined to succeed."
Hamilton, who has been adjusting to his new surroundings at Maranello, is relishing the fresh challenge, adding: "I came into the year with so much anticipation for this new chapter, and I’m even more energised now by the spirit and belief of everyone I’ve met over the past month.
"I couldn’t be prouder to be on this journey with them. I can’t wait to get out on track with Charles, push each other forward, and do everything we can to take the team to the top," Hamilton concluded.
Ferrari SF-25 Photo Gallery
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