Ferrari is gearing up for one final attempt: in Abu Dhabi, a setup change could deliver a surprise. The 2025 season for Ferrari reaches its final act at Yas Marina with a clear goal: restore pride after a challenging championship. The disappointment of missing the opportunity to consolidate second place in the Constructors’ Championship still lingers, and more than the championship points, Maranello now values dignity and the ability to finish with a positive signal. The SF-25 has real potential on this track: the excessive tire pressure issues seen in Lusail are not expected to appear here, but achieving results will require a near-perfect setup.
The team paid a high price for the difficulties in Qatar, enduring a weekend without convincing answers that highlighted already known balance limitations. “It was a weekend where, despite the attempts, the car progressively lost balance and performance,” observed paddock sources. The engineers will need to find a compromise between traction and rotation, prioritizing the section of the circuit that best suits the SF-25 without sacrificing too much in other parts of the lap.
At Lusail, tire management had a significant impact: suboptimal front pressures shifted the balance and rendered aerodynamic adjustments ineffective. The gap between expectations and the car’s reality amplified errors and tension within the team.
Why Abu Dhabi is different
In Abu Dhabi, the context changes: the minimum required tire pressures and the layout of the circuit — which demands aerodynamic efficiency and a consistent setup across all three sectors — can restore the mechanical grip that was missing in Qatar.
Balancing traction and straight-line speed will be key, deciding whether to prioritize exit speed from the third sector or find a compromise to limit understeer, a flaw that has also caused issues in 2024. “On this track, the car can deliver something good, but everything will depend on the setup choices made in the first hours of Friday,” technical sources explain.
Looking at history and the circuit’s characteristics, Yas Marina offers Ferrari the chance to showcase its true potential: a well-calibrated car, with good mechanical grip and controlled tire management, could rejoin the group of top contenders. Absolute precision is required on track and in the garage, as the gap between the top four teams will be minimal, and operational details could make all the difference.
“In Abu Dhabi, we expect a more competitive Ferrari compared to the last outing, if everything goes according to plan with setup and tire management,” observers say, leaving the real contest open: on the clock and in the hands of whoever can make the most of every element of the weekend.
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