Belgian GP telemetry data: Ferrari SF-24 struggles in cornering and traction

Ferrari tried to optimize Friday at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, with an SF-24 that showed several limits and a setup that sought the optimal compromise. For the Italian team, it is not easy at all to tackle such a complete layout because the shortcomings that emerged are not solvable, and it is a matter of minimizing the weaknesses as much as possible to then highlight the strengths. Even Red Bull suffered a few too many problems because some characteristics of the RB20 continue to weigh and do not allow the three-time Formula 1 world champion to extract the maximum performance from the car.

First, let’s analyze the comparison between the telemetry of Lando Norris’ lap and that of Max Verstappen, which was slower by 0.217 seconds, to understand where the Dutchman loses the advantage he had obtained during FP1. Firstly, it seems that both teams used a fairly aggressive engine mapping, as the top speeds are almost similar. But this is also due to the fact that the Red Bull driver used a slightly less loaded rear wing compared to the first practice, as he was losing about 3 tenths on the straights.

In this way, they reduced the drag trying to maintain the same grip in the second sector, full of medium-high speed corners, where however Red Bull lost the advantage shown in FP1. From the data related to the lateral G-Force, it is very clear how McLaren manages to have superior grip at high speeds, while Red Bull excels in low and medium-speed corners. Corner 10, tackled at 290 kilometers per hour, was taken flat out by Max Verstappen during the first practice, while in this case, the Dutchman is forced to lift.

He does so for less time than Lando Norris, who in this section has a cornering speed 7 kilometers per hour lower than the championship leader. Lando’s advantage starts from turn 12 onwards, especially in the section up to curve 15, full of supporting corners, where solid front-end entry and a good rear-end exit are needed, as one tries to go full throttle as soon as possible and a stable rear end is required. In the entire sequence of corners, onboard his McLaren MCL38, Lando shows a significant speed advantage. Even at the entrance of turn 12, the British driver enters with 10 kilometers per hour more than Max’s performance. The Englishman builds his advantage also in the third sector, from the exit of turn 15. In this part of the track, he sacrifices the entry to then optimize the traction phase by opening the throttle early to maximize the exit. As a result, he carries more speed along the entire straight leading to the final chicane.

To get an idea of Ferrari’s performance, we also examined the telemetry comparing Charles Leclerc’s lap with that of Lando Norris in the second free practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix. The Monegasque driver loses all the advantage built in the first sector (also thanks to the slipstream on Sergio Perez, which allowed the Ferrari driver to reach a top speed of 341 kilometers per hour). The Ferrari SF-24 car suffers particularly in turn 12 – 13 – 14 – 15. In the second sector, he actually does not perform as badly as expected: sure, compared to Lando he loses about 4 tenths, while to Max Verstappen “only” 2 tenths, compared to 7 tenths in FP1.

The second sector is what Ferrari keeps under the magnifying glass, as it is the most driven and characterized by medium-high speed corners where bouncing from the SF-24 was expected. Indeed, this phenomenon was especially present in turns 10 and 11, the fastest on the track. A factor that obviously leads to a loss of speed in cornering: in fact, despite Charles Leclerc lifting less than the McLaren driver, he arrives at the braking of curve 12 with a maximum speed difference of 5 kilometers per hour.

The red car also loses a lot along the entire straight leading to the final chicane. The reason is a combination of factors, as the traction phase is not optimal, nor is the hybrid deployment. Lando Norris makes a big difference exiting turn 15 because he manages to press the throttle earlier than everyone else and especially takes this turn with a smaller steering angle. Charles Leclerc also loses something in the last chicane. The Monegasque carries a lot of speed, brakes later, and fights with slight understeer, as he does not immediately find the apex, having to tap the brake again to better aim the front.

As we can easily imagine, this behavior significantly limits the traction of the SF-24 towards the finish line. In conclusion, we can analyze another telemetry data that relates the G-Force developed by the cars in lateral accelerations with the G-Force in longitudinal accelerations, that is, in traction and braking.

Thanks to this data we note how the Ferrari number 16 of the Monegasque performs very well in braking. Charles Leclerc shows significant confidence in this case, allowing him to tackle the deceleration phases slightly later, also exploiting the solidity of the front end of the SF-24. While in the corners, things change. Observing the left-hand corners, that is, in the faster sections of the circuit, it is clear how the McLaren shows significantly superior grip.