Ferrari downplay upgrade and hit out at ‘exaggerated’ claims

Ferrari have downplayed the impact of their upgrade package for the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix, insisting it will not “revolutionise” their performance.

F1’s most famous team have brought a significant upgrade to Bahrain, introducing a new floor in a bid to bring more performance to their 2025 challenger, the SF-25.

It comes after a disappointing start to the season for Ferrari, who have lacked pace compared to McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes across the opening three rounds.

After another underwhelming showing at the Japanese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc conceded that Ferrari needed upgrades to compete with their rivals. 

But Ferrari have moved to lower expectations surrounding the eagerly-anticipated update package.

"More than a characteristic change it's just adding a bit of performance, adding a bit of downforce in the continuity of what we've been developing over the winter,” Ferrari deputy team principal Jerome d’Ambrosio told media including The Race in Bahrain.

"It's just as simple as hopefully we've added a little bit of downforce, kept a good drivability, and added a bit of performance on the car. Having said that, our expectations are not that this is going to revolutionise the whole performance picture.

"It's just hopefully adding that bit of performance that's at the end of the line very important because every 0.01s that you add on the car, it's a step forward, and that's what we're trying to chase. Again, not to revolutionise anything but just to add marginal and steady gains on the car.”

Ferrari ride height talk ‘exaggerated’

Ferrari’s new floor is widely seen as being a reaction to their whispered ride height struggles.

There has even been speculation that Ferrari have a fundamental design flaw with their 2025 car.

D’Ambrosio insisted Ferrari have not fast-tracked the upgrade - as had been suggested - and moved to quash the aforementioned rumours.

"I think there's been a lot of talk about that ride height topic, and I think in the end, you know, with these regulations of cars, the lower you run, the more downforce you find," he stressed.

"You know, the talks that have been going on - I think have been a little bit exaggerated in the sense that, you know, you go down during the weekend as well, you go back up, you try to find your limit, and that's where you sit.”

Asked if the Ferrari is more complicated to set up compared to their rival’s cars, he replied: "I don't know. I don't think so, but I'm not - obviously you can't speak for them.

"But I think it's just an exercise, and of course, the nature of the regulations makes it that it's an area where there's performance and people try to find a limit, and I think that's similar if not exactly the same for everyone."