2024 F1 cars technical analysis: Ferrari strengthens front-end, Mercedes with a lot of innovations. Highlighting similarities and differences among the 10 cars on the Formula One grid in 2024.

F1 2024: Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, and Aston Martin attacking Red Bull. The eagerly awaited unveilings have provided insights into the technical directions each team has chosen, and it must be said that each team has brought its own surprises. Although there was an expected convergence toward certain configurations, it is essential to highlight a significant fact.

Not all teams have opted to simply replicate the Red Bull RB19 and lose their unique identity. In this article, we will attempt to bring clarity by highlighting the similarities and differences among the 10 cars on the grid. To simplify the analysis, six technical features representing commonalities or discontinuities among the cars have been chosen: front wing, front and rear suspensions, sidepod air intakes, Side Impact Structure (SIS) position, side-pods, and livery.

F1 2024/Technical Analysis Front Wing: Ferrari Increases Front-End Load

First and foremost, it’s crucial to note that the front wing is one of the most versatile components, subject to various upgrades and adaptations throughout the season. Although the observed front wings are likely temporary, they leave room for interpretation. A primary distinction lies between cars with the nosecone adhering to the main-plane of the wing and those with the nose “nestling” on the second profile of the wing.

In the first category are Red Bull and Haas Stake, while the second includes Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, Aston, and VCARB (pending Williams’ configuration revelation). A design like the one used by SF-24 or W15 can enhance the downforce generated by the front end by shortening the protrusion to the second profile, increasing the wing’s surface area for generating load. Additionally, it reduces the frontal section of the nose, enhancing the front wing’s efficiency.

For this reason, such a choice can benefit teams like Ferrari, which has been seeking front-end grip to reduce understeer and improve balance since last year. However, such a decision compromises the wing’s flexural resistance, a delicate factor given the crucial influence of the front wing on the overall behavior of the car.

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F1 2024/Technical Analysis Suspension: Mercedes Alters Rear Setup on W15

The suspension system is one of the most intriguing aspects to delve into. Despite entering the third year of the current regulations, many teams have opted to modify their suspension settings to improve overall car performance. Others have chosen continuity in design rather than a total revolution.

The choices of each team are outlined in the table above. It’s unsurprising that Red Bull and McLaren have maintained the pull-rod front and push-rod rear scheme. A pull-type front suspension helps lower the center of gravity by moving all components closer to the asphalt, aiding in aerodynamic efficiency. However, this system complicates adjustments due to the position of adjustable elements.

VCARB and Stake have also adopted this scheme. VCARB’s choice isn’t surprising, given its close ties to Red Bull. Stake deserves credit for its bold approach, choosing daring developments for the 2024 campaign. Mercedes and Ferrari (along with the unmentioned teams) have stuck with the push-rod front suspension.

Once again, it’s crucial to emphasize that maintaining the same suspension system doesn’t necessarily result in a disadvantage. Each design is nuanced, and its compatibility with a specific mechanical setup varies. Regardless of the adopted approach, a shared choice among almost all teams involves repositioning the arms to favor the anti-dive effect.

This refers to the “negative dive” each car experiences during braking, a movement that can affect the car’s aerodynamic balance on the pitch axis and make it unstable during braking. There is a clear majority for the push-rod at the rear, with eight out of ten cars opting for this configuration. Only Ferrari and Haas have a pull-rod layout at the rear.

This decision, especially for Ferrari, could raise eyebrows given the team’s history. However, it’s reasonable to assume that the idea of switching to a push-rod configuration was contemplated but ultimately discarded due to implementation complexities. Changing the suspension meant reconsidering the transmission and gearbox position, along with various intricacies such as braking ducts and channels feeding the car’s diffuser.

Mercedes has revolutionized its rear setup, redesigning the gearbox and transmission to accommodate the push-rod suspension. Customer teams like Aston Martin and Williams have inherited this choice. Mercedes opted for the push-rod solution for aerodynamic reasons, seeking more rear downforce and better overall balance compared to previous seasons.

Lastly, other teams, including Red Bull and McLaren, have chosen to maintain continuity at the rear, staying faithful to solutions extensively tested and proven during the 2023 season. Concerning the rear, teams have focused on arm positioning to reduce the squat effect during acceleration.

F1 2024/Technical Analysis Inlet Side-Pod: Red Bull and McLaren Present Overbite Solutions

The radiator inlet has been a hot topic since the introduction of ground-effect cars in 2022. Since last season, most cars have adopted Red Bull’s configuration, featuring a significantly reduced frontal section and the so-called “tray,” an aerodynamic appendage ensuring proper airflow to the sidepods.

Except for RB20 and MCL38, the described configuration prevails. Mercedes has taken this configuration a step further, with the W15’s “lip” now significantly arched, and the air intake adopting a “P” shape.

In Milton Keynes and Woking, however, they have decided to further update the state of the art: the lower tray no longer exists, replaced by a higher lip aiming to provide a dual function: creating a downwash effect to feed the underfloor and simultaneously energizing the flow towards the sidepods directed to the diffuser and beam wing, a small but effective aerodynamic component when used correctly.

Such a configuration is technically termed “overbite,” an additional extreme iteration of an already aggressive project. This layout also proves less damaging in terms of aerodynamic resistance, as the frontal section of the air intake is reduced compared to the recent past. The effectiveness of this choice remains to be seen; we will soon know thanks to the initial feedback collected during the pre-season tests in Bahrain, scheduled to begin tomorrow.

F1 2024/Technical Analysis SIS Position: VCARB 01 Against the Trend in Chassis Positioning

Once again, Red Bull and Adrian Newey set the standard for the Side Impact Structure (SIS): since last season, the RB19 featured this significant safety device integrated into the floor. The goal was to provide the car with the least possible aerodynamic impact and, consequently, “free up” ample space to recreate the now-famous undercut beneath the sidepods.

After a thorough study of the championship-winning car, many teams sought to reproduce the setting seen on the Austrian car during the 2023 campaign. However, modifying the SIS involved a clear “homologation requirement” concerning the chassis. This procedure, in the era of budget caps, proved too costly mid-season during the F1 championship.

Looking at the 2024 season, we note that 9 out of 10 teams have lowered the SIS to the floor level. The only team deviating slightly from this approach is VCARB 01, which has repositioned this element lower, merging it with the bulkheads in the front portion of the car’s floor, attempting to recreate something akin to the now-banned bargeboards.

F1 2024/Technical Analysis Side-Pod: Canyon or Slide, Awaiting Williams’ Configuration

Of the various sidepod philosophies we have come to know in the last 2 years, only two have survived to date: Red Bull’s slides and Aston Martin’s full-fledged canyon style. Since the sidepods are a crucial area of the car, significant changes were expected and have indeed occurred. Top teams like Ferrari and Mercedes have revolutionized their concepts, adopting the “canyon” layout on the SF-24 and the sliding configuration on the W15.

Stake, VCARB, and Haas have aligned with the reigning world champions’ team. Alpine, Aston Martin, McLaren, and, of course, Red Bull have remained faithful to their concepts. The first two have kept the canyon within the sidepods, while MCL38 and RB20 once again feature slides. It remains to be seen what Williams will choose, although it seems plausible that they will continue the choice made last year, featuring Red Bull-style sloping sidepods.

F1 2024/Technical Analysis Livery: Ferrari and Red Bull without Weight Problems

An aspect perhaps underestimated concerns the livery of the cars. Beyond the aesthetic effect, the choices made by many teams for 2024 offer interesting reflections, such as the adoption of “carbon black.” Alpine, for instance, has transitioned from a blue/pink color scheme to an entirely black car with colored accents.

This choice is conditioned by the excessive weight that a fully colored car can entail. To save 2/3 kg and approach the lower limit of 798 kg, teams prefer to forgo colorful liveries and leave the bare carbon fiber exposed.

Stake, Haas (since last year), and McLaren have made the same decision, exacerbating the (unintended) effect of making the cars increasingly similar, making it challenging to differentiate them by sponsors or colors. Only Ferrari, VCARB, and Red Bull have fully colored liveries, indicating that reaching the minimum weight is no longer a problem for them.

While a convergence toward similar solutions was expected, it is still encouraging to see some teams sticking to their unique philosophies, not succumbing entirely to theoretically more effective concepts on paper. We eagerly await the unfolding of the team hierarchy for the 2024 season, as the pre-season tests begin tomorrow, providing answers to numerous uncertainties.

Source: Andrea Mauri and Alessandro Arcari for FUnoanalisitecnica