Ferrari will make one change to Lewis Hamilton’s Japanese Grand Prix car after simulator data revealed a problem

Ferrari have been hard at work in their simulator ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix to bounce back following Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s disqualifications in China.

The Scuderia submitted to a double DSQ for the first time in their illustrious history last time out in Shanghai. Highs quickly turned to lows after Hamilton won his first event for Ferrari in the Sprint as Leclerc and the Briton lost their respective P5 and P6 results for the Grand Prix.

Hamilton’s SF-25 was deemed illegal after the thickness of his rear plank measured between 8.5-8.6mm but the minimum limit is 9mm. Leclerc’s SF-25 was also found under the 900kg minimum weight by only 1kg as the Chinese GP changed from a two-stop to a one-stop race.

Ferrari’s double disqualification at the Chinese GP masked the issues the Scuderia suffered in Shanghai, as well. Despite winning in the Sprint, Ferrari changed Hamilton’s set-up for the Chinese GP but miscalculated his ride height – causing the car to run too low to the ground.

Ferrari will change Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s suspension settings at the Japanese GP

In a bid to bounce straight back at the Japanese GP this Sunday, Ferrari have spent the gap between races testing multiple ways they can improve the SF-25 at Suzuka. And according to Gazzetta dello Sport, Ferrari are convinced there are no central issues with their concept.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

But Ferrari’s simulator data from running the SF-25 at Suzuka has shown that while their car has the potential to fare well, problems arose in the mechanical response at the suspension level and the aerodynamic criticality at the rear with their floor not maximising the airflow.

Ferrari tested around 20 options to fix the issue, and believe they found a solution that does not involve bringing forward the new floor upgrade planned for the Bahrain Grand Prix next week. Instead, Ferrari will just adapt the suspension on Hamilton and Leclerc’s cars in Japan.

Maranello engineers are convinced that Ferrari only need to change the suspension settings to follow a different combination between the front and rear to what they used in Australia and China to unlock the SF-25’s potential in Japan. Further upgrades are due later in Miami.

Ferrari must unlock the SF-25’s potential soon to catch McLaren in the constructors’ standings

The suspension settings on the SF-25 will not be the only change that Hamilton will need to adapt to in Japan, too. Ferrari have updated the software on Hamilton’s steering wheel with settings that Leclerc is yet to get to gift the 40-year-old more details on his engine mapping.

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But the task awaiting the Scuderia at Suzuka remains large, even if their suspension tweaks unlock their SF-25’s potential. Team boss Fred Vasseur fears Ferrari unlocking their potential could ‘expose’ them to further mistakes when they have to maximise everything to succeed.

After penning a double DSQ in Shanghai, Ferrari already trail McLaren by 61 points in the F1 constructors’ championship. They only lost out on the 2024 title to their rivals from Woking by 14 points in a battle that the pride of Italy took all the way to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.