Ferrari in the crisis: McLaren’s technical secret triggers panic in Maranello
The Formula 1 season 2025 has hardly started, but the alarm bells are already shrilling at Ferrari. After only two races, the deficit of the Scuderia on McLaren is 61 points in the constructor rating – a distance that causes bare horror in Maranello. What was celebrated as a big comeback season with the commitment of Lewis Hamilton threatens to transform into a technical nightmare. The reason for the panic? McLaren’s innovative front -wheel suspension, a concept that Ferrari knew, but deliberately refused – a decision that could now prove to be a fatal mistake. While McLaren dominates the competition with courageous technical solutions, Ferrari faces the question: Can the team still hold the connection, or has the train already left?
McLaren’s success is based on a radical realignment of her front wheel suspension, which brings aerodynamic advantages to the rear by lowering the rear wishbones and an inclination of the entire system. This so-called “anti-dive” suspension optimizes the behavior of the car in curves and ensures better tire management-an area in which Ferrari is currently dramatically lagging behind. At the Australia Grand Prix, Lando Norris secured the victory from the pole position, and Oscar Piatri celebrated his first triumph in China. Both McLaren drivers lead the driver’s ranking, while Ferraris Stars, Hamilton and Leclerc, fight for points in midfield. The contrast could hardly be greater: McLaren radiates self -confidence and technical superiority, while Ferrari has to struggle with a car that has lost momentum before the season has really taken off.
Particularly bitter for Ferrari: The concept that McLaren now leads to success was known in Maranello. Internal sources report that the team under the direction of Diego Tondi has examined a similar design, but has rejected it out of worry about instability and complexity. Instead, Ferrari decided on a more conservative transition from the Push-Rod to the Pull Rod system-an approach that now proves to be too cautious. Red Bull’s chief technology chief Pierre Wache described McLaren’s suspension during the pre-season tests in Bahrain as “very interesting, but risky”. But this risk has paid off: McLaren collects points, while Ferrari in China reached a new low with a double discovery qualification due to excessive underbody wear. Hamilton’s experimental setup change led to balance problems and tire wear, which made the main race a disaster.
The mood in Maranello is tense as rarely before. It is no longer just about lost points or podiums-the basic question is: Is the SF-25 project competitive at all? The technical decisions of the past few months now show their weaknesses and the pressure on the team is growing. McLaren’s success is a slap in the face for Ferrari’s caution, and morality in the team threatens to suffer. However, neither Hamilton nor Leclerc give up. Both emphasize the need to thoroughly analyze the mistakes from China and to find quick solutions. But in such a tight racing calendar there is little time to think. Ferrari urgently needs technical updates and brave decisions to close the gap in aerodynamic efficiency.
The 2025 season should be Ferrari’s turning point, but instead the team fights for survival in the title race. McLaren’s pace puts pressure on the entire competition, and even Red Bull observes the development with respect. For Ferrari, the next Grand Prix becomes a test stone: Can Scuderia reinvent itself, or will the distance to McLaren become insurmountable? In modern Formula 1, not only wins who has the best idea, but who will first implement it. Ferrari is facing a sample – and the clock ticks.
