Ferrari: Spa upgrade was final step for SF-25 – focus now on 2026

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur says the Scuderia has now drawn a line under the development of its SF-25 following the introduction of its latest rear suspension upgrade at last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

The Frenchman confirmed that the Spa-Francorchamps update marked the final major evolution of the car, as the Italian outfit now turns its full attention to the seismic regulatory overhaul coming in 2026.

The revised rear suspension – a long-awaited change – arrived amid curiosity about whether Ferrari could close the performance gap to Red Bull and McLaren. However, it proved modest in impact during a race where Charles Leclerc finished third, yet still 20 seconds adrift of Oscar Piastri’s winning McLaren.

Although the Monegasque admitted he was already operating close to the new package’s limits, Vasseur believes Ferrari hasn’t yet extracted the full potential from the upgrade due to the constraints of the sprint weekend format at Spa.

“I think that we have to fine-tune the situation,” Vasseur told reporters. “It’s never easy to introduce something on a Sprint weekend, but we didn’t want to postpone to Budapest.

“It’s true that with the format of the weekend, the fact that you don’t long stint on Friday, or doing a long stint of four laps, it’s not easy to have references and so on.

“But at the end, I think it was the right call because it’s also the best preparation for us for next week. We will try to put everything together a bit earlier into the weekend to be a bit more performant next week.”

Hungaroring Will Be the True Test

Ferrari is now eyeing the tight, technical layout of the Hungaroring as a better barometer for evaluating the new suspension, which is designed to allow the SF-25 to run lower and more consistently across a wider range of ride heights – a known limitation in its current configuration.

But Vasseur cautioned that Ferrari’s pace in Spa’s slower-speed corners was still underwhelming, tempering expectations for an instant turnaround in Hungary.

“Let’s see next week. We were not that magic on low-speed corners this weekend,” Vasseur admitted.

“We have still some improvement to do. But I’m quite confident that all the tasks that we collected this weekend will pay off next week.”

Leclerc echoed this sentiment, suggesting that while the upgrade has potential, its true value might only become apparent after deeper setup understanding and further mileage — something Ferrari was deprived of under the limited sprint format.

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“I'm pleased with the steps forward we are doing, and I think we should all be proud about that because I know that behind that, there's a lot of work behind the scenes from the people back at home for us to have this upgrade here,” Leclerc said.

“It definitely helped us to get the podium when you see how close it was with Max today. However, we are all aware that this is not enough, and we need to keep pushing in order to be closer to the McLaren.

“This is very clear for the whole team. It doesn't change that we shall be satisfied with what we've done this weekend.”

Eyes on 2026 as SF-25 Development Ends

Most significantly, Vasseur confirmed that Ferrari is now fully reallocating its resources toward its 2026 project, which is being designed to meet the sport’s sweeping new technical and engine regulations.

While minor, circuit-specific updates may still appear, no further major development is planned for the SF-25.

“No, I think we are all in the same situation,” Vasseur said when asked about future upgrades. “The closer you will be to the end of the season, the more focus you will be on next year.

“For sure we will have to bring some small items until the end, more related to the layout of the track or the weather conditions or whatever, but no big package.”

With McLaren and Red Bull currently setting the benchmark and Mercedes gradually improving, Ferrari’s choice to pivot early to 2026 is a strategic one, especially as teams brace for what is expected to be the most radical rule reset since 2014.

For now, the SF-25 will have to carry Ferrari through the remainder of the season as it stands – somewhat flawed, yet now fixed in form – while hopes for a title resurgence rest squarely on what Maranello can conjure for the new era.

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