- Ferrari has revealed the SF-25 as its contender for the 2025 Formula 1 season
- The SF-25 will be piloted by Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in the new season
- The first race will be the Australian Grand Prix, taking place on March 16
Ferrari’s new Formula 1 race car for the 2025 World Championship has been fully revealed following its debut late Tuesday during the special F1 75 live event launch in London, marking the start of the new season.
The SF-25, as it is known, will be driven by Ferrari’s newest recruit, Lewis Hamilton, alongside Charles Leclerc, who is embarking on his seventh consecutive season with the Prancing Horse.
The SF-25’s name, which combines the initials of the Scuderia Ferrari race team with the current year, follows the pattern of its predecessors, symbolizing regulatory stability. However, there are still some key rule changes this season including tighter restrictions on DRS designs and wing deflections, a mandatory driver cooling system if race-day temperatures exceed 88 degrees F, and the elimination of the bonus point for the fastest lap.
Despite the largely unchanged regulations from the previous season, Ferrari describes the SF-25 as a ground-up redesign, incorporating new technical approaches. One major change is the switch from a pushrod to a pullrod front suspension, which Ferrari claims enhances airflow around the car while opening up further aerodynamic development opportunities.
The car’s construction features carbon-fiber composite honeycomb structures, while its power unit—developed in-house by Ferrari—pairs a turbocharged 1.6-liter V6 with two motor-generators (one on the driveline and another integrated with the turbo), producing a peak output of around 1,000 hp. Ferrari emphasized that one of the power unit team’s primary focuses was improving reliability.
The SF-25 will undergo initial shakedown testing on Wednesday at Ferrari’s Fiorano test track before joining the rest of the 2025 grid for pre-season testing in Bahrain on February 26. The first race of the season, the Australian Grand Prix, is set for March 16. This year’s calendar will feature 24 races, including three U.S. stops in Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas.
Charles Leclerc (left) and Lewis Hamilton
The reveal of the SF-25 comes one year after Hamilton’s shocking announcement that he would be leaving Mercedes-Benz AMG, the team with which he won six of his seven world championships. Mercedes has powered Hamilton’s cars throughout his entire F1 career, but his final seasons with the team ranged from underwhelming to disappointing, as aerodynamic struggles led to poor performances—ultimately prompting his decision to switch teams.
Now 40 years old, Hamilton brings unparalleled experience to Ferrari, but he will be competing against a field of much younger drivers. He may have a better chance of claiming an eighth title in 2026 when new regulations are introduced.
