The Method 1 season is about to start, and the Ferrari SF-25 has obtained René Arnoux’s endorsement in its battle towards McLaren. A automobile that has modified considerably from final season however is already within the wake of the MCL39. There may be nonetheless work to be performed forward of the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, however there are good causes to be optimistic. The 2025 season guarantees to be extremely aggressive.
Drawing conclusions from the lately concluded Bahrain assessments is not any straightforward activity. As Lewis Hamilton additionally identified, the present era of vehicles—now of their remaining iteration—conceals unprecedented complexities. From one circuit to a different, efficiency ranges can shift, favoring one automobile over one other and doubtlessly shaking up the world championship standings.
McLaren’s race tempo is an indisputable fact, but it doesn’t assure a sure consequence for the upcoming season. Within the first few races, a number of groups will introduce important upgrades that can outline the trajectory of 2025 extra clearly. Ferrari—like Mercedes and Purple Bull—shouldn’t be out of the combat but and received’t be so long as Maranello continues working in the appropriate route.
Rene Arnoux: “McLaren began robust, however their superiority shouldn’t be set in stone”
Reflecting on what was learned in Bahrain, René Arnoux expects a tightly contested championship: “It will likely be a balanced, hard-fought season,” he instructed Mario Salvini of Gazzetta dello Sport. “Each race, each circuit, with these vehicles, is a unique story. The highest groups are so shut, and the vehicles are so advanced that the pecking order might be turned the other way up from one Grand Prix to the subsequent.”
What Andrea Stella’s group has performed properly proves that “the automobile was born properly,” however McLaren’s superiority shouldn’t be set in stone: “What issues is how typically they’ll keep this benefit. There can be weekends the place they’ll need to chase, and will probably be essential to see how they handle completely different challenges. The battle between Piastri and Norris, I believe, can be inevitable.”
A Ferrari that has modified lots however is already within the combat
As for the SF-25, there are good causes to be optimistic: “It’s the automobile that has modified essentially the most, but it’s not removed from McLaren,” the French legend identified. “In my view, that’s an important truth. As I’ve stated earlier than, my hope is that Ferrari finds consistency. Final yr, that was lacking—there have been races the place Leclerc was lightning-fast and others the place he struggled.”
“Nevertheless it’s not like a driver is robust one Sunday and immediately ineffective the subsequent. That’s what it’s all about. In concept, Ferrari is the group that ought to be given essentially the most time. The one drawback is, time shouldn’t be on their facet.”
Supply: f1ingenerale