Ferrari waste millions and make the SF-25 slower – Round ten of the 2025 Formula One season will take place in Montreal Canada this weekend and with McLaren surviving any scare from the FIA’s latest technical directive, the one way traffic for the papaya liveried cars is set to continue on the Isle de Notre Dame.
Hopes that the FIA directive reducing the tolerance allowed for their flexible wing tests would reign in the rampant McLaren team were dashed last time out in Barcelona, as Piastri led Norris home to the team’s third 1-2 of the season.
The flexi-wing saga has irritated Ferrari since it was raise early in the European season last year. The FIA then decided to place cameras on the cars for the Belgian Grand Prix but this would be several races after the matter was raised.
Ferrari delay on fexi-wing development
Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur admitted he expected the result of the FIA’s surveillance to rule against the flexing wings come their analysis in Belgium, yet the weekend came and went without F1’s governing body finding anything of concern. “We were convinced that it will go for the ‘no go’. And it went for the ‘go’! So probably we lost one or two months,” said the Scuderia boss on hearing the decision.
Clearly Ferrari then began their own round of developing a front end of their cars using aeroelasticity technology similar to that being utilised by McLaren, only to discover the FIA had announced once again in January another change to the rules. Again the implementation of the FIA action was on a long lead time, set only to come into force at round nine and the Spanish Grand Prix. The tolerances allowed under the FIA’s static load test were reduced from 15mm to 10mm and expectations were that certain teams would be forced to redesign their front wings to pass muster.
The 2025 Spanish Grand Prix came and went, with non of the teams falling foul of the new flexi-test. Now data from Ferrari suggests all their efforts in adopting the aeroelastic design was for nought and it reportedly cost them half their development budget for 2025 according to Autoracer. The new wing for Spain proved to be only a tenth of a second slower than the one which enjoyed such massive Maranello investment.
Ferrari in Spain reverted to the front wing they used at the 2024 USGP last October, which calls into question the eight months of development time and the tens millions spent since then on developing aeroelastic technology. Then add to the this the millions spent on ensuring the new component for Spain complied with the more stringent test although the wing in Spain did enjoy an improved outwash aerodynamic effect to compensate for the increase in stiffness required.
Montreal: Hamilton’s reset moment
Hamilton and Leclerc appeared positive over the new front wing and this weekend in Canada the Scuderia will continue their analysis of how it performs. Montreal is a favourite for Lewis Hamilton, his record at the Canadian Grand Prix is scorn to none. With seven wins to his name at the Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve together with three podiums, he equals another Michael Schumacher record for the most success at a single circuit.
It could be Montreal 2025 which finally kick starts Hamilton’s Ferrari career because despite his troubles with the new ground effect cars, Lewis has had a remarkable two third place finishes and a fourth in the three years since the race returned after an absence during Covid. Even with a Mercedes car he described as ‘the worst ever,’ Hamilton came third in 2022.
Add into the mix that the circuit on the Isle de Notre Dame is a fast, low downforce layout – which suits the SF-25 best given its lack of downforce – and there may be red overalls on the podium come Sunday evening, but this time it could be Hamilton. Of course temperature will be important for the Scuderia as the pace of the SF-25 disappears when the weather is hot.
A cursory look at Lewis Hamilton’s results since his move to Italy could suggest he would have been better off staying where he was. George Russell sits two places ahead of his old team mate in the drivers’ title race with 111 to Lewis 71. The intra team comparison between Leclerc and Hamilton reads like a horror movie for the seven times world champion, given he has been out qualified by his team mate 9-2 and with Hamilton finishing a Grand Prix ahead of his team mate just once in 2025.
F1 2026 calendar and dramatic rule changes
Lewis much closer to Leclerc than at first glance
Yet a deeper delve into the numbers suggest lewis is fairing relatively well to Charles Leclerc when we compare the data with Carlos Sainz from 2024. Across the entire season and with the team in his fourth season, Sainz on average was 0.188 seconds slower than his team mate. This year Hamilton is only a touch further back with an average gap of 0.233. Just 0.045s separates Hamilton from Sainz with Lewis yet to find his feet with the Italian F1 team.
Further, Montreal is not one of the circuits where the Monegasque driver excels. His results have been P10, P3, P5, P4 and Charles suffered a retirement in 2024. Hamilton should be poised to take this opportunity to dominate his team mate in Canada and maybe the “reset” will finally be under way.
That said, Canada is also a big weekend for Max Verstappen and his Red bull team. He’s won the event for the last three seasons and the track layout will also expose the deficiencies of the RB21 less than elsewhere. The temperatures could be half they were last time out in Barcelona, something which takes away a large part of the McLaren advantage.
Rain is also expected on Friday and Saturday nights but not forecast for any on track sessions. The weather in Ottawa at this time of year is notoriously changeable and wet weather sessions or even during the race could flip the pecking order on its head.
Former boss Hamilton ‘age’ slur
Ben Sulayem ‘election rigging’ warn founding FIA association
Following twelve years of Jean Todt’s FIA presidency which represented a relatively tranquil period between the incumbent and Formula One, Mohammed Ben Sulayem was elected as his successor in December 2021. The Frenchman had decided to call it a day and retire from the role as FIA president, one he had held since his leaving his job as the Ferrari team principal – the most successful Scuderia boss of all time.
Yet despite his sanguine approach to managing the relationship with F1’s commercial right owner, Todt had often been criticised for being too hands off with the FIA’s blue ribbon international racing series.
One of Todt’s greatest achievements was to pave the way for the much debated spending cap, and idea which had been kicking around for the best part of a decade. The results of the F1 team’s being forced into a financial straight jacket has been some of the closest fields – certainly in qualifying – the sport has ever seen…. READ MORE
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
