Ferrari is reported to be contemplating whether to move from the push-rod suspension it runs to a Red Bull-inspired solution in time for the 2025 Formula 1 campaign.
The Italian marque has sustained a strong start to the season with two victories from the opening eight races to reside in second place in the Constructors’ standings.
Ferrari introduced a substantial upgrade package at Imola last month as it strives to maintain pace with F1 champions Red Bull and McLaren in the development race.
But while the updates inspired Charles Leclerc to win in Monaco last time out, Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur has admitted the team is finding it harder to unlock gains.
“With the cost cap and the current regulation, you have to manage both sides and we will bring upgrades when we have something to bring,” said Vasseur.
“What you have to keep in mind is that you have a kind of convergence of performance and the development rate is much lower than it was two years ago.
“It means that each time that someone is bringing an upgrade, and I think it’s true for us, but it’s true for everybody, the gain is smaller than it was two years ago, and this is normal.”
Vasseur revealed that work is being undertaken on next season’s car, with the team back in Maranello split between that venture and delivering updates to the SF-24.
“We have already given the go-ahead to the 2025 car. Furthermore, work has already started some time ago on the 2026 power unit, he explained.
“With regards the chassis and aerodynamics, we can hypothesize a few concepts but nothing more given that there are no regulations yet.”
The potential diminishing returns encountered under this ruleset could see Ferrari seek to make aggressive changes that will be implausible to implement in-season.
Sources have told Autosport that Ferrari has pinpointed some potential areas it could make significant gains in time for 2025, when Hamilton arrives from Mercedes.
Such regions could entail the front suspension, with the report stating the Italian side is assessing whether to adopt a pull-rod suspension over the push-rod structure.
Both McLaren and Red Bull have adopted such a solution since the current regulations debuted in 2022, with Ferrari believing it also provides a clear aero advantage.
This concerns the airflow around the front of the car and the venturi tunnels located on the floor, but would require a complete chassis revamp in order to be achieved.
When asked prior to the season commencing about Ferrari’s suspension, Technical Director Enrico Cardile explained: “In reality, our rear suspension is a bit different in terms of top and lower wishbone distribution compared to a Red Bull one, to mention one team.
“We recorded good aero results moving towards this direction and when moving from pull-rod to push-rod, we didn’t measure a big advantage to justify some compromise in terms of weight or compliance. So, from there, we evolved our suspension, keeping the same layout.”
