The 2025 Formula 1 season has proven to be a pivotal moment for Ferrari, as their SF25 car grapples with a fundamental design flaw that continues to hinder their performance. On lap 23 of the Austrian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc’s radio message, “I’m starting to feel the fronts go again, same as last stint,” sounded clinical, almost resigned. To the casual observer, it was just a driver describing his tire condition, but beneath those words lay a deeper, more pressing issue that has plagued Ferrari’s car design for years. It’s not just about poor front tire temperature; it’s a systemic brake heating problem that the Scuderia has struggled to overcome.
Ferrari’s brake system, particularly their front-end brake architecture, is at the heart of the issue. Despite Ferrari’s emphasis on aerodynamic efficiency, including narrower brake ducts and a low-drag philosophy borrowed from Red Bull’s 2023 design, the SF25 has suffered from poor brake cooling. This lack of effective brake heating leads to inconsistent front tire temperatures, severely affecting corner entry stability and overall car performance. The problem is so pervasive that Ferrari’s engineers have been forced to adopt a strategy known as “Lift and Coast,” or LICO. This isn’t a backup measure but a standard operating procedure for the team, one that essentially sacrifices pace in favor of controlling tire degradation.
Behind closed doors, engineers have long referred to this as a fundamental flaw in Ferrari’s brake architecture. The issue is tied to the brake migration system, which determines how braking force shifts between the front and rear of the car. While most teams adjust this migration dynamically, Ferrari’s system is static, optimized only for peak performance when the system is thermally stable. In colder stints or at circuits with few heavy braking zones, such as the Red Bull Ring in Austria, Ferrari struggles to bring the front tires up to temperature. This, in turn, hampers braking stability and cornering performance, creating a vicious cycle of diminishing grip and slower lap times.
Both Leclerc and his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, are feeling the effects of this brake system flaw. While Hamilton is still relatively new to Ferrari, having joined the team for the 2025 season, he has quickly begun to understand the frustrations that Leclerc has been enduring for years. The issue is not just one of technical performance; it’s a matter of driver confidence. At Ferrari, there’s a lack of trust in the brake system, which is leading both drivers to adjust their braking points and strategies during races to compensate for the system’s inconsistencies. Hamilton, known for his consistency on the brakes, has found himself struggling to replicate the same level of trust in the car’s braking performance that he once had at Mercedes.
The technical challenge isn’t limited to the drivers alone. Ferrari’s engineers are acutely aware that the car’s brake system needs a complete overhaul. Leclerc has long advocated for a redesign of the brake packaging—one that addresses the inadequate cooling channels, duct geometry, and materials used in the brake drums. However, year after year, the response from Maranello has been the same: “It’s not the priority.” This ongoing resistance to addressing the problem is indicative of a deeper cultural issue within Ferrari—one that prioritizes aerodynamics and performance gains over solving the car’s fundamental mechanical weaknesses.
The situation was never more apparent than during the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix. Despite qualifying in a respectable fifth place, just two-tenths behind third, Leclerc’s sector times revealed a critical weakness in the SF25’s handling. Ferrari lost valuable time in the middle sector, where front-end grip is most reliant on tire temperature. This directly correlates to brake heating, and it was clear that Ferrari’s inability to generate consistent heat in the front tires severely compromised Leclerc’s performance. McLaren, which qualified ahead, benefited from a more predictable car that didn’t suffer from the same brake-induced tire temperature problems.
This brake issue is not just about a single race or a single season. It’s a lingering problem that is slowly eroding Ferrari’s competitiveness. Over the course of the season, small losses in qualifying and race strategies are accumulating. As seen in Austria, Ferrari’s inability to trust their brake system is costing them valuable positions, especially in a season where every point counts. Tracks like Silverstone, Spa, and Monza are just around the corner, and these high-speed circuits demand the highest levels of braking confidence. If Ferrari doesn’t find a solution soon, they risk falling behind, not just in the constructors’ standings but in the hearts and minds of their drivers.
Ferrari’s historical tendency to prioritize aerodynamic purity over practical racing considerations is nothing new. In 2016, their SF16H car exhibited similar front-end instability due to a suspension design that prioritized wind tunnel gains over driver feedback. That car, like the SF25, had potential but was ultimately undermined by the team’s inability to adapt to real-world race conditions. The same story played out with the SF-1000 in 2020, when poor rear-end packaging led to significant drag and forced Ferrari to run a low-downforce configuration at almost every circuit. Now, the same reluctance to address fundamental mechanical weaknesses is putting Ferrari’s 2025 season at risk.
The real concern for Ferrari moving forward is the 2026 regulation overhaul. As F1 transitions into an era with increased reliance on electric power deployment and reduced drag allowances, the importance of thermal management and energy recovery will only grow. Ferrari’s current brake issues are laying bare their struggle with these core systems. Without a comprehensive redesign of their brake philosophy, Ferrari risks carrying a legacy weakness into the next generation of Formula 1 cars, which could further undermine their competitiveness.
As Ferrari continues to chase their next upgrade package, which is rumored to focus on rear suspension geometry, floor edge tweaks, and possibly revised brake shrouds, it’s clear that the team is at a crossroads. While the engineering team in Maranello is split over how to tackle the problem, the clock is ticking. If Ferrari doesn’t address the brake issue head-on, the SF25’s weaknesses could define not just the 2025 season but the team’s future in Formula 1.
For Hamilton, who signed a multi-year deal with Ferrari, the expectation isn’t just for a fast car. It’s for a transformation—a cultural shift within the team that recognizes the need to confront difficult truths and engineering compromises. For Leclerc, who is in his prime and already delivering world-class performances, the pressure is even greater. Ferrari must act swiftly to fix the brakes, as failing to do so risks losing both drivers’ trust in the project and the chance to truly challenge Red Bull in the upcoming years.
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