“Big break” tipped for Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari with new upgrade at F1 Belgian GP

Ferrari will feel the positive impact of their new upgrade at the F1 Belgian Grand Prix, it has been predicted.

Ferrari are set to bring an updated rear suspension to Spa this weekend after testing it at a private filming day around Mugello.

The famous Italian team hope it will cure the ills experienced by Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc on the tricky SF-25.

Ex-F1 driver Jolyon Palmer was asked if the upgrade could become Ferrari’s ‘silver bullet’ this season.

“It would be fascinating to see, it could be,” Palmer told the F1 Nation podcast.

“We have seen before with Ferrari that if they can run their ride-height low, they are competitive. The problem is doing that legally.

“It’s a sprint weekend, it’s Spa - trying to find that ride-height on a sprint weekend will be tricky for them.

“But when you’ve got Eau Rouge and the compression there? Everyone is on the limit of ride-height and you don’t know until you do the 40 laps of the grand prix.

“It’s a tough one to bring this upgrade to get the car lower and working better. But I think, in terms of performance, this could be a big break for them.

“They brought an upgrade package to Austria which worked well in giving them downforce and a better platform in the high speed of Silverstone.

“The idea of this is to find the low-speed performance. The lower you run it, the quicker you go.

“I have high hopes for them here.”

Ride-height has been a frequent issue for Ferrari and their SF-25 this season.

Hamilton and Leclerc were both disqualified from the F1 Chinese Grand Prix earlier this year. The skid blocks - introduced to ensure cars don’t run too close to the ground - did not adhere to the rules.

China, like this weekend in Belgium, was a sprint race weekend.

But Ferrari will now hope those problems are behind them.

Ferrari emboldened to 'find performance' and 'salvage' F1 2025

Ferrari encouragingly sit second in the constructors’ championship behind McLaren.

But Leclerc is fifth, and Hamilton sixth, in the drivers’ standings. Neither have won a grand prix all year, and Ferrari’s only joy came when Hamilton won the sprint race in China.

But, ahead of another sprint race weekend, they have been buoyed by words of encouragement.

“You can’t say anything other than it has been disappointing,” Palmer said.

“We’re half way through, if they find performance now they can salvage a decent year.

“They are second in the constructors’ and could motor clear of Red Bull and Mercedes.

“Charles, and potentially even Lewis, with George Russell and Max Verstappen missing loads of points? It’s not out of the question, with a car with consistency, that those guys could come into a third-place battle.

“I am clutching at straws for them. But when you look at it at the end of the year? On paper it’s a disastrous year but to the best of everyone except McLaren? ‘We would take it’.”