Analyzing Ferrari updates and setup of SF21 in France. Analyzing Ferrari updates and setup of SF21 in France.

At the center of the group the analysis is divided between the performance in Qualifying and that of the race. The Paul Ricard circuit was on paper one of the most difficult tracks for Ferrari, still lacking in the fast corners at medium-high speed, which were abundant on the French track, opposed to the 90° turns of Baku and Monaco that enhanced the qualities of the SF21. The two red cars, on the other hand, were the fastest on Saturday behind Mercedes and Red Bull, with Gasly’s AlphaTauri as the only car capable of preventing the “front row” of the Reds in the center-group battle.

In the race, however, the situation was reversed and both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished outside the points, slowed by a conspicuous graining on the tires. As in Baku, the Maranello team took the decision of a lower set-up in the race, with the spoon rear wing preferred to the straight-profile one tested on Friday. The impression is that the preference for unloaded set-ups is driven by the desire to reduce drag and with it consumption, as well as to compensate for the speed shortages on the straight due to the gaps in the power unit without having to resort to excessively aggressive mapping. The lower downforce, however, translates into greater instability, therefore greater wear on the tires which affects the pace of the race. The rain on Sunday morning further exacerbated the graining, but we cannot fail to underline that at the halfway point of the race Charles Leclerc was even slower for the same compound than Lance Stroll, who passed him with 14 laps older tires.

Ferrari now has to recover a 16-point gap in the constructors’ standings to McLaren. The consolation for the Scuderia from Maranello is that the championship standings as at 30 June will determine the allocation of the wind tunnel hours that can be used by the teams for the second half of 2021. Barring a difficult counter-overtake in the first race in Austria, Ferrari will therefore have 2.5% more resources for aerodynamic tests for the development of the 2022 Formula 1 car.

With regard to development, in France Ferrari used what could be the last of the SF21 updates for this season. A new front wing has been mounted on the red cars, with a wider section for the adjustable profile and a different design of the external sidewalk for the management of the vortexes directed to the rear. The rear wing has also been re-profiled in the design of the vertical strips of the endplate.