What went wrong for Ferrari at the Australian GP?

Ferrari's sudden performance drop from promising pace in Friday practice to disappointing results in qualifying and the race at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix has left both the team and fans searching for answers.

What began as a potentially strong weekend for the Scuderia ended with Charles Leclerc in eighth and Lewis Hamilton in tenth, far from the podium that seemed possible after FP 2.

Set up adjustments

The most significant factor behind Ferrari's performance decline appears to be a critical setup change made between practice and qualifying.

Team principal Frederic Vasseur admitted they "made errors in both setup and execution," with technical analysis revealing the team raised the car's floor height to prevent excessive plank wear on Albert Park's bumpy surface.

What makes this particularly concerning is that Ferrari's engineers were reportedly surprised by the excessive wear detected on the wooden plank under the car after Friday's sessions.

This unexpected discovery forced them to raise the ride height as a precautionary measure to avoid potential disqualification during post-race scrutineering

This decision, while necessary to comply with regulations, severely compromised the SF-25's aerodynamic efficiency.

The car relies heavily on ground effect aerodynamics generated by running close to the track surface, and raising the floor disrupted airflow underneath the car, reducing downforce and increasing drag.

"It's a bit of a strange feeling because the potential in the car is very high, but we are struggling to put everything together when it matters," Leclerc said after qualifying.

"The pace is there, but we are not consistent, and the tires are overheating more than we expected."

The encouraging news for Ferrari fans is that upcoming races in Shanghai and Suzuka feature more traditional track surfaces, which may allow the team to run their preferred lower ride height.

The issue appears to be related to suspension settings and car understanding rather than a fundamental design flaw, suggesting it's something the team can address over time.

Tire management issues

With reduced aerodynamic grip from the raised floor, Ferrari's drivers experienced increased tire overheating, particularly in the high-speed corners that characterize Albert Park.

This created a vicious cycle where the lack of downforce caused more sliding, generating excessive tire temperatures that further reduced grip.

The Pirelli C4 compound used in Australia operates in a specific temperature window, and Ferrari's setup adjustments pushed them outside this optimal range.

While McLaren's cars maintained strong performance through qualifying and the race, Ferrari's pace deteriorated as tire degradation accelerated.

Strategy Blunder

Melbourne's notoriously changeable conditions further highlighted Ferrari's struggles.

With temperatures reaching 31°C during qualifying – higher than during Friday practice – the raised floor's negative impact was amplified.

Then during Sunday's race, rain showers created additional challenges that the team failed to navigate effectively.

"I made a mistake at Turn 11, and that cost us three or four places," Leclerc explained after the race.

"It wasn't a great day overall, but we need to look at why we couldn't maximize the car today—it's not just about my error."

Hamilton echoed this sentiment:

"It was really hard to drive out there today. We had a chance for more, but it slipped away—it's a missed opportunity."

Potential gearbox concerns

Adding to Ferrari's performance questions are growing speculations about possible gearbox issues.

During pre-season testing in Bahrain, Hamilton's race simulation was cut short due to what Ferrari officially described as a telemetry issue, though paddock observers suspected hydraulic or gearbox problems.

These concerns resurfaced in Australia with Hamilton reportedly experiencing gear synchronization problems during the race.

Meanwhile, Haas – which uses Ferrari's 2025 gearbox and power unit – also encountered troubles when Oliver Bearman's FP1 crash necessitated a gearbox change, and his qualifying was hampered by reported gearbox issues.

"It was really hard to drive out there today," Hamilton remarked after the race, potentially referring to both setup challenges and mechanical inconsistencies.

While neither Ferrari nor Haas has confirmed gearbox faults, the pattern of symptoms across both teams combined with Ferrari's raised floor setup potentially altering drivetrain loads keeps speculation alive as the teams head to Shanghai.

Unclear path forward

Ferrari's performance deficit was stark compared to their competitors.

Even with an ideal qualifying lap, the team would have improved just six-tenths from last year – a concerning figure when McLaren and Mercedes have found 1.2 seconds of performance.

"When you start seventh and eighth, you hope for a chaotic race, and with the rain, that could have been the case."

But we didn't do a good job as a team—we collected less than what the car could have given us," Vasseur admitted.

Ferrari now faces a critical period to understand and address these issues before the Chinese Grand Prix.

With Shanghai featuring similar high-speed corners and presenting the challenge of the season's first Sprint weekend, time is limited for the team to unlock the SF-25's potential.

If improvements don't materialize soon, Ferrari may need to consider redirecting resources toward their 2026 car – a logical but difficult decision for the passionate Italian team and its global fanbase.