Vasseur: We are not where we want to be

The Bahrain Grand Prix offers a timely benchmark for Ferrari, with the SF-25 set to run at the same venue where it underwent pre-season testing in February. Despite encouraging signs since then, Vasseur made clear that the team’s development curve remains a work in progress.

Previewing the weekend ahead at the Sakhir circuit, Vasseur said: “With the fourth race of the season taking place in Bahrain, we get the opportunity to see how much progress we have made with the SF-25 in terms of extracting its potential since we were last here for the pre-season test at the very end of February.

“We are not where we want to be in terms of car performance, and we are working hard with the aim of making solid progress. This will be our main focus in Sakhir, with the support of those working back at the factory in Maranello.”

The Frenchman underlined how narrow the margins are in the current F1 pecking order: “Even the smallest detail can be important over the weekend, because gaining just one-tenth can mean being ahead of some of our rivals, both in Saturday’s qualifying and in Sunday’s race.”

Swedish Ferrari Driver Academy talent Dino Beganovic will make his Formula 1-weekend debut in FP1, taking over Charles Leclerc’s car for the opening session on Friday.

The 20-year-old is the first young driver to benefit from the updated 2025 sporting regulations, which now require each race driver to give up their seat twice per season — up from once previously — to a rookie with fewer than two Grand Prix starts.

The Bahrain International Circuit remains a mainstay of the F1 calendar and presents a complete challenge for teams and drivers. The 5.412km layout features 15 corners and three DRS zones, combining technical sectors with long straights that encourage overtaking.

The changing track temperatures from day to night, combined with a demanding braking zone into Turn 1 and a second key passing point at Turn 4, ensure teams must balance outright pace with tyre and brake management across all 57 laps.

Ferrari head into the weekend aiming to consolidate their early-season points haul and continue unlocking performance from the SF-25, as they look to close the gap to championship leaders Red Bull and McLaren, and quell Tifosi's impatience.