Canadian GP analysis: Ferrari chooses setup that does not maximize SF-24 tire performance. Let's try to understand what happened to Ferrari during this weekend in Montreal.

Scuderia Ferrari put together the worst Formula 1 weekend they could at the 4.361-kilometre Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal. A weekend to forget, but one that is nevertheless worth discussing. The Canadian Grand Prix started during a period without rain, although the track was decidedly wet. All teams decided to use intermediate tires, which take several laps to heat up compared to wet tires but then perform better. However, after the initial laps, drivers realized that the water level was much higher than expected. Haas nailed the strategy with wet tires, as Kevin Magnussen climbed to fourth place.

Several laps were needed to make the Intermediate tires work optimally. To give an idea, on the ninth lap, Lewis Hamilton was informed that the W15 had almost reached ideal temperatures. This compound needs to generate energy in the carcass, with temperatures stabilizing over multiple laps. Drivers therefore must “build” the working range over time. Until then, grip was quite limited for everyone. Positions after the start remained almost unchanged at the front, where struggling drivers preferred to be cautious.

The first shift occurred on the sixth lap. The green-banded Pirelli started working better than the Full Wet, which showed rear overheating issues and limited performance. Shortly after, even the Intermediate began to suffer, requiring drivers to cool them on the straights by moving off the drying racing line to find water. Box crews monitored temperatures, providing crucial information to extend tire life. During this phase, George Russell suffered from rear overheating.

The same issue was reported to Oscar Piastri, who was told to keep rear temperatures below 80°C. Drivers can monitor this value via the dashboard on their steering wheel. A few laps later, Carlos Sainz received the same message. By lap 16, strategy thoughts turned to the weather. An expected heavy downpour made an early switch to slicks unwise, as it would necessitate an extra pit stop.

Nonetheless, before the anticipated rain arrived, many thought a new set of intermediates would be needed. Oscar Piastri requested a change to a new intermediate set, while Carlos Sainz believed he could manage with his initial set. During this phase, Lando Norris was very fast, taking the lead by overtaking Max Verstappen and George Russell. The telemetry data confirms this, with Lando Norris’s late-race pace so good it allowed him to take the lead.

On lap 25, Logan Sargeant stopped at chicane 3-4, prompting Race Control to deploy the Safety Car. This was the first crucial moment of the Canadian Grand Prix. Lando Norris did not pit immediately, unlike Max Verstappen, George Russell, and Oscar Piastri. They remained on intermediates since the second downpour hadn’t arrived yet. McLaren realized the mistake and pitted Lando Norris on the next lap, but it was too late: the British driver lost three positions.

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz also made their stops, one lap later than the others, although their race was already compromised. The Monegasque had control problems with the power unit, which limited the available power. The Monegasque took a gamble by fitting the Hard tires. If he had managed to stay on track with the slick during the rain, which was less intense than initially expected, he could have saved a pit stop and gained several positions. However, with the hard tire, the grip was practically nil, and after insisting a lot with the pit wall, he pitted again.

A new set of intermediates to align with the others’ strategy. His race, after a prolonged pit stop during which a power cycle was performed to fix the power unit, was decidedly compromised. Last and lapped, the team decided to retire car number 16 to avoid further problems. If we analyze the pace in the wet, we find that Lando Norris was the fastest, followed by Max Verstappen with an average lap delay of about two and a half tenths. Oscar Piastri was half a second behind with the same pace as George Russell, who had another two tenths over Lewis Hamilton.

A very different story for Ferrari. The times and the telemetry data take into account the few laps done on the Hard tire. For this reason, their lap times were much slower, with several long runs and off-track excursions. In the following laps, light rain arrived and once it ended, finally, the track began to dry gradually. At that point, the strategists focused on nailing the correct crossover point between the intermediate and the slick tire. Among the leading group, Lando Norris was the last to switch to dry compounds.

The goal was to try an overcut on Max Verstappen, who would have taken some time to activate the Medium tire. However, the operation did not go well. The British driver stopped two laps after Max Verstappen, who in the meantime had activated the Mediums. Coming out of the pit lane, the Englishman found a still very wet area, which further complicated the tire activation, hindering his strategy. George Russell was the only one in the leading group to fit the Hard tire, which provided good results given the track conditions, sometimes better than the Medium.

At lap 55, here is the second Safety Car intervention. Among the leaders, only Mercedes chose to change tires again. Lewis Hamilton wanted the Softs, but the operation was too risky. Hard for him, while George Russell opted for the Medium. Before the restart, the drivers took great care of the front axle, which was struggling to reach temperature. McLaren used the “overtake” mapping to generate more friction on the front end. In the final part of the race, Max Verstappen pulled away and Oscar Piastri gave way to the Mercedes.

Finally, let’s try to understand what happened to Ferrari during this weekend in Montreal. We talked about it in depth yesterday, highlighting problems that the Prancing Horse carried into Sunday. First of all, starting the race from the back compromised the race to some extent. Secondly, the main problem was understanding the use of the compounds throughout the weekend. The cooler temperatures troubled the SF-24 single-seater, which, compared to previous Italian cars, puts less energy into the tires.

This is the main limitation of the car, which has always struggled to stabilize temperatures. In the intermediate stint, the management was not particularly problematic. Carlos Sainz reached the right operating temperature almost simultaneously with drivers running at the front. The big problem was activation on a single lap, while over long distances generating less friction means not stressing the compound, which is an advantage. Rear overheating occurred later than the competitors.

The indication is not “absolute,” but it can help us better understand the situation. Undoubtedly, the setup of the Ferrari car was imperfect. Despite the SF-24 having excellent balance, the setup chosen by the Maranello technicians through simulator study did not enhance the car’s performance. A strategy is necessary to exploit the strengths and at the same time “hide” the weaknesses. Additionally, although to a lesser extent but still decisive, it contributed to the tire problem because, as mentioned, Ferrari takes longer to activate the compounds as compared to its direct rivals.

Source: FUnoanalisitecnica