After Suzuka came and went, Ferrari reportedly will introduce their new floor for the SF-25 at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

However, despite apparent expected benefits which include widening the working window of Ferrari‘s SF-25 challenger, dropping the ride height for more efficient downforce under F1’s ground effect regulations remains a problem, due to a continued threat of the grounds for Lewis Hamilton’s China disqualification striking again.

New Ferrari floor: Hamilton and Leclerc to feel the benefit?

Ferrari has endured a low key start to the F1 2025 campaign. Hamilton may have scored Sprint victory from pole in China, but in Grand Prix action, Leclerc’s P4 result last time out in Japan represents the Scuderia’s best result over the opening three rounds of the season.

But, as Formula 1 quickly moves on to this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix, part two of this season’s first triple-header, Ferrari will reportedly introduce a new floor carrying the intention of giving Hamilton and Leclerc a much-needed boost.

With respected Italian publication Formula Uno Analisi Tecnica citing a ‘lack of balance and pure performance’ with the SF-25, it is reported that a new floor is on its way for Bahrain, one designed to trigger better stability and balance in the Ferrari car, opening up its working window.

It is stated that Ferrari also want to move the car’s centre of pressure forward with improving rotation through corners in mind, the SF-25 suffering from understeer in the early stages of F1 2025.

However, one caveat to Ferrari’s proposed upgraded floor is that it has been designed to generate more efficient downforce at the ride heights which Ferrari have to work with at present, as it is reported that should the team go lower, then they run the risk of skid block wear becoming an issue once again.

Hamilton was stripped of his P6 finish at the Chinese Grand Prix after post-race FIA inspections revealed that the underfloor plank on Hamilton’s Ferrari had suffered from wear beyond what is permitted under the regulations.

“The plank assembly of Car 44 was measured and found to be 8.6mm (LHS), 8.6mm (car centerline), and 8.5mm (RHS). This is below the minimum thickness of 9mm specified under Article 3.5.9 of the Technical Regulations,” the stewards’ statement revealed.

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Hamilton, speaking after a P7 finish in Japan, potentially made reference to Ferrari’s Bahrain GP upgrade plans when he spoke of an “underperforming” part on his SF-25.

“I’m happy I moved forwards,” Hamilton said after the race.

“I’m really hoping in the next race we’ll see, hopefully, some positive changes. Through the first three races, there’s been a bit of a deficit between both sides of the garage, on an element of the car, so on my side, something underperforming.

“So it’s good to know. I mean, with what I had, that’s the best result I could get.

“My pace, I think considering, as I said, I was maximum today. I didn’t have anything else in the car.

“We’ve got underperformance happening at the rear of the car this weekend, and obviously qualifying position is key.

“I think I probably would have been overtaken by the Mercedes if I was any further ahead, and I’m hoping the next race, we can somehow get a bit closer.”

Asked to expand on his prospects for the Bahrain GP after those comments, Hamilton added: “It’s definitely going to be interesting, for sure. I just hope we’re a little bit closer.

“I think we’re probably the fourth fastest, clearly, at the moment, and I think we are a little bit off the other guys in terms of performance downforce level wise, so we’ve got some work to do to close the gap.

“We will slowly progress the car. It’ll be interesting to see when people get upgrades over the season.

“We’ve got a lot of work to be able to close the gap into the top cars, the top guys. They’ve probably got three or four tenths on us, so we’ve got a lot of work to bring upgrades for that.”

Speaking further on this apparent underperforming element on the SF-25, Hamilton added to Sky F1: “I’m really hoping when that’s fixed, I’ll start getting a bit better results.”

The Bahrain Grand Prix will tell whether Ferrari can successfully take a step forward with their SF-25, or if another false alarm has been raised, considering that ahead of the Japanese GP, a report had portrayed Ferrari as ‘convinced’ that the true potential of the SF-25 would be shown at Suzuka after a set-up breakthrough in the simulator.

Ferrari sit P4 in the early F1 2025 Constructors’ standings, already 76 points behind leaders and reigning champions McLaren, the team which Ferrari battled with all the way to the final round in Abu Dhabi over the 2024 crown.

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