Baku GP FP2 analysis: Ferrari fixes front end, but still struggles with oversteer on exit. Confirmation of progress in the use of the front end in slow corners for the Ferrari SF-24 cars.

Ferrari suffered from a certain lack of rotation during the first free practice session for the 17th round of the 2024 Formula 1 season, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. It is the usual problem we have discussed about in our regular preview leading up to the Baku race weekend, as the SF-24 struggles in slow corners. This happens because the suspension layout doesn’t provide the ideal grip for the car. This phenomenon, during cornering, not only limits the performance of the Maranello single-seater but also significantly worsens the handling. Moreover, the understeer in the middle of the corner turns into oversteer on the exit due to the greater-than-expected steering angle. A real headache for the engineers and technicians of the Italian side.

During the break before the second free practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the Scuderia Ferrari technicians analyzed all the data collected in order to make an adjustment to the suspension. The main goal was to increase the mechanical grip of the SF-24 as much as possible in order to reduce the car’s deficit in the tight sections of the Baku City Circuit. After all, we know that Ferrari has always struggled on tracks where compromise is more significant. It remains to be seen if they will also make an adjustment to the rear downforce, as the vertical load produced by the car could also help.

Apparently, the number 16 car was repaired without major issues after the incident in FP1. The damage, as mentioned in the onboard F1 analysis dedicated to Ferrari, was limited to replacing damaged aerodynamic parts. Since Charles Leclerc is no stranger to crashing into the walls of Baku, to be superstitious, we can say that if he had to do it again this year, he couldn’t have chosen a better session. Jokes aside, the important thing is that the damage was theoretically minor. Moving to the present, after the usual checks on the cars, the Ferrari drivers were waiting for the green light.

Now let’s take a detailed look at how the second free practice session unfolded for the two Ferrari drivers at the 6.003-kilometre Baku City Circuit on Friday afternoon:

The two Ferrari cars hit the track again on Medium tires. Charles Leclerc opens the radio and asks his race engineer Bryan Bozzi if everything is in order according to the data. He specifically asks to check the right front tire in high-speed corners. According to the Ferrari pit wall, everything is perfect. So, after engaging the push mode, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz start to get serious. The track should be much more rubbered in, a factor that will help the Italian cars. The Monegasque driver blasts off, and on the first flying lap, he pushes hard, getting very close to the walls. Only those with guts react like that after a crash.

The Ferrari driver continues to report that the car feels slightly different from the first session and again urges the Maranello team to check the right side. In the meanwhile, Carlos Sainz completes a fairly clean lap, a bit slower than his teammate. A cool-down lap to cool the tires and recharge the batteries before pushing again. On the second attempt, Charles Leclerc goes long again in a corner in the third sector of the Baku City Circuit. Fortunately, he avoids a crash and “blames” the sensors for not detecting a problem with the car. For this reason, he returns to the pits for a thorough check on the SF-24 car, which he feels clearly has a problem.

The number 16 is put in the garage, and extra checks are conducted. Meanwhile, his Ferrari teammate stays on track and, after a double cool-down lap, launches again. The Spanish driver has to adopt various measures to optimize the car’s performance through handling. It seems that, looking at Carlos Sainz’ car, the understeer has been largely resolved. This is evidenced by the fact that in the second sector, he’s among the fastest on yellow tires. This first run for the red team ends here, with some good feelings for the Spanish driver, but a bad break for Charles Leclerc, who remains in the pits with his car under inspection at this stage of FP2.

A few minutes’ break and Carlos Sainz once again leaves the Azerbaijani pit lane. This time, he does so on Soft tires, while Charles Leclerc remains “stuck” in the pits. On his first attempt with the red-banded Pirelli tires, Carlos Sainz puts together some good handling. The Spaniard reveals that the warm-up cycle wasn’t perfect, as the tires weren’t ready during the first part of the lap. We noticed that hitting the apex remains a bit tricky, and in some exits, oversteer is still present.

The Spaniard takes two laps to cool down the tires, during which he makes a stop at the pits to adjust the front wing: “point 2 up” to increase front downforce. The operation is carried out quickly, and he then tries a start at the end of the pit lane. Afterward, Carlos Sainz focuses on tire temperatures to make the most of the grip from the red-banded compounds. However, his attempt ends in turn 2, as he makes a small mistake and prefers to lift off. On the next lap, he again goes wide and decides to return to the pits.

Finally, Charles Leclerc also returns to the track, still on yellow tires. On his flying lap, he goes wide in the second sector, but no comment is heard on the radio. It was his mistake. Then he pushes again to see if the issue has been resolved. And indeed it seems that the situation is back to normal. Bryan Bozzi asks for feedback on the number 16 car, and the Monegasque driver responds that “it feels better,” more comfortable overall. While Carlos Sainz’s car is being prepared for high-fuel tests, Charles Leclerc continues lapping with the yellow-banded Pirellis. The goal is clear: to improve his feeling with the SF-24, which so far has certainly not been optimal.

On his second attempt, he puts together a great time, just three-tenths slower than his Maranello teammate on a different compound. This is enough to head back to the pits, switch to Softs, and attempt a push lap with the extra grip from the red tires, after another front wing adjustment: “point 1 up.” Carlos Sainz is back on track, focusing on high-fuel testing with the Medium tires. Charles Leclerc’s lap isn’t perfect but solid. For now, it puts him at the top of the timesheets. The front end seems improved, although a bit of oversteer on the exit is still present.

There is still work to be done to optimize traction in this area. Moving on to high-fuel performance, the Spaniard completes a solid run of 8 laps, with the last two done in Engine 1 mode, maximum power on the internal combustion engine. Meanwhile, the Monegasque driver also switches to high fuel to assess his car’s behavior with more fuel. His stint is noticeably shorter, and after one lap, he immediately switches to maximum power on the internal combustion engine.

In this case, it’s hard to give a benchmark, as there were too few laps. Carlos Sainz’s stint is more interesting, showing more consistent performance. It should also be noted that the time attack is one and a half seconds slower than his teammate’s. Regarding handling, even in the race pace simulation, there’s confirmation of progress in the use of the front end in slow corners. The overnight simulator study will seek ways to further refine the setup in order to offer the best version of the SF-24 single-seater in the qualifying session which takes place on Saturday afternoon at the Baku City Circuit.

— see video above —