In 2025, ground effect continues to transform F1 cars. A major transition is already underway before the 2026 revolution.
Since 2022, ground effect has completely reshaped the design of Formula 1 cars. Teams had to rethink their single-seaters to boost grip and encourage more on-track battles. While 2026 will mark a new technical revolution, 2025 is shaping up to be a crucial transition season for these machines.
Ground effect: a comeback that redefined F1
After nearly 40 years of absence, ground effect made its return. By simplifying bodywork and putting more emphasis on the floor, the sport managed to reduce turbulence. This also helped bring drivers closer together during wheel-to-wheel racing. The redesigned, less complex front and rear wings further limited the influence of disturbed air. This is how ground effect has completely changed the behavior of F1 cars.
Ferrari, for example, gained more than two seconds per lap between 2022 and 2025 at the Hungaroring. These improvements show how teams have learned to exploit every detail of the regulations. At the same time, they still retain an impressive performance margin despite strict rules.
2025: a transition season before the big revolution
With the new regulations set for 2026, teams approach 2025 as a year of optimization. F1 cars no longer undergo radical transformations linked to ground effect. Instead, they receive targeted upgrades, mainly focused on the floor and airflow management around the wheels. The gains are still measurable: higher top speeds, stronger lateral downforce, and improved stability in fast corners.
For Ferrari, the SF-25 has already shown clear progress. It reached 13 km/h more in the fast corners of the Hungaroring compared to its 2022 predecessor. This kind of detail illustrates just how much engineers are still fine-tuning ground effect on F1 cars before turning the page to the next era.