A new season and but sadly the same scenario: Red Bull outperformed everyone, including the Ferrari SF-24. The race in Bahrain mirrored the hierarchies of the past Formula 1 season and unfortunately brought back memories of a familiar script. Max Verstappen begins the 2024 F1 championship at the same high standards as 2023, winning with over a 20-second lead over his Red Bull teammate. The RB20 remained composed and balanced, dominating the scene effortlessly.
A decent race for the red team, all things considered. Carlos Sainz secured the podium, displaying a pace quite similar to that of Serio Perez at certain stages of the Sakhir round. Charles Leclerc’s race was more challenging, finishing 4th, falling victim to a problem with the front axle’s braking balance. The Monegasque driver faced temperature imbalances that effectively shifted the car to the right during braking, complicating the driver’s management.
Technical reports from the FIA highlight some modifications to the braking system of car number 16, likely stemming from issues encountered the day before. Despite these difficulties, the Ferrari driver managed a comeback after the first stint on red tires, handling a tricky car that cost him three positions.
GP Bahrain 2024/Telemetry 1st Stint – S2: Ferrari SF-24 with two faces: Sainz manages the Soft, Leclerc flat out at Turn 12
Let’s evaluate the behavior of the cars in the central sector of the Bahrain International Circuit, calculated based on each driver’s fast lap in the first stint, when the competitors were on used Soft tires. Examining the telemetry, we observe that in the approach to Turn 6, Carlos Sainz is more conservative in applying lateral forces on the tires, with a speed 10 km/h lower. At Turn 6, Charles Leclerc maintains a higher gas percentage, reaching a higher speed approaching Turn 8.
Exiting Turn 8, Max Verstappen reaches 100% throttle more quickly than the red car, while braking much earlier. For the most part, both SF-24 cars rely on good traction to reach the highest speed before Turns 9 and 10. In these two corners, where braking balance is crucial, the Monegasque experienced some difficulties during the first stint, losing positions in the subsequent straight.
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At Turn 11, aboard the impressive RB20, the three-time Dutch world champion proves to be the best in acceleration, applying the throttle more effectively and reaching 100% before his opponents. The Ferrari driver interprets this section differently. Unlike Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz, at Turn 12, Charles Leclerc chooses to put more energy into the tires, taking the turn at full throttle.
GP Bahrain 2024/Telemetry 2nd Stint: Leclerc’s Ferrari SF-24 saves the Hard. Red Bull more balanced
Continuing into the second part of the race, it’s crucial to consider that the cars are running with about 40 kg less fuel in the tank. This weight advantage allows Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen to improve their throttle usage percentages. Based on the data of the telemetry, both, with the same Hard compound, increase the full throttle percentage, reducing cornering time.
A different situation for Charles Leclerc. Examining the throttle section shows that he struggled more in managing his SF-24. These difficulties didn’t allow him to improve his performance percentage. Focusing on the final part of Sector 2, it’s evident that the Monegasque driver tried to ease off more than his competitors, imposing less stress on the tires.
In the snake (turns 5-6-7), the best in the second stint is again Max Verstappen. The Bahrain Grand Prix winner can rely on an excellent car in terms of direction changes, capable of maintaining an average speed 5 km/h faster than the red cars. Differences in favor of an almost perfect Red Bull, with Max gaining 6 tenths on Carlos Sainz and over a second on Charles Leclerc, securing the fastest lap in this section of the track.
GP Bahrain 2024/Telemetry 3rd Stint: Verstappen exploits the extra grip of the C3 for the best lap
In the last comparison during the final stint, still related to sector 2, the Dutch driver takes advantage of the strengths of his car, setting a superb lap time. Max Verstappen doesn’t reach very high speeds at the end of the straights but utilizes the new Soft tire’s cornering advantage. From the throttle percentages, it’s noticeable that the time spent in flat-out is significantly higher than that of the Ferrari drivers.
At Turn 6, the reigning world champion achieves a higher top speed, leveraging the mentioned extra grip on the exit of Turn 4 provided by the brand-new red-banded Pirelli. While at the cord, the RB20’s substantial aerodynamic load, combined with the C3 tire’s performance, allows the Red Bull driver to gain 10 speed points more at the apex compared to the examined competitors.
Another point where Max Verstappen makes a difference is found in the last turns of the central sector. Exiting Turn 8, in fact, the former Toro Rosso driver presses the accelerator pedal before the two Ferrari drivers. His car is more composed, enabling him to reach 100% throttle earlier. The Red Bull driver carries this higher speed into the next two turns (9 and 10), utilizing the RB20’s excellent handling qualities, achieving the highest speed at Turn 11.
Source: Alessandro Arcari and Leonardo Pasqual for FUnoanalisitecnica
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