Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull have all brought performance-related upgrades to the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix, with the Scuderia’s package the most extensive.
Ferrari is by far the most ambitious team when it comes to bringing upgrades to the Bahrain International Circuit.
The Scuderia has a completely revised floor this weekend, coupled with a new diffuser and modified rear wing as it attempts to claw back the deficit to pacesetters McLaren.
Lewis Hamilton is “excited” to test it out, hoping it will be a step in the right direction, meanwhile, Charles Leclerc said, “We’ve got a few new parts here, which I hope will help us to close that gap a little bit.”
After finishing fourth in Japan, Leclerc said that he felt like the limit of what was possible with the SF-25 before this weekend’s updates arrived, so it is pivotal that they do the trick for the famed Italian outfit.
Hamilton added, “I think we’ve learned a lot over the past few races, and I think hopefully this weekend it’s a step forward for us definitely.
“It’s not necessarily closing the gap, but it’s going towards closing the gap; it’s not going to close the gap completely, but if we can extract more from the car, which is what we’re trying to work on, hopefully we can see better results.”
Ferrari rivals updating packages for F1 Bahrain GP
McLaren, the stand-out pacesetters so far this season, has brought one performance-related change to its MCL39 this weekend.
This comes in the form of a revised front brake duct winglet, designed, according to the FIA’s car presentation document, to create “better flow conditioning, resulting in an improvement of overall aerodynamic performance.”
Red Bull has also brought a single performance-related change to its 2025 F1 challenger, the RB21, in the form of a longer front wing chord flap.
Again, turning to the FIA’s car presentation document reveals that Red Bull hopes that, “by extending the chord, the wing load potential is lifted, giving more scope to attain the targeted aerobalance with the suite of rear wings available.”
Aerobalance is a key point that Red Bull needs to improve with its RB21, to give its drivers confidence through all phases of cornering.
With three of F1’s top four teams bringing performance upgrades to Bahrain, Mercedes is an outlier, keeping its powder dry with the W16, which makes for an intriguing matchup between the sport’s leading quartet.
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