Very positive notes in the Ferrari house. In addition to the clear leap in quality made in terms of engines, the aerodynamic changes made on the SF21 seem to work. So much so that the Italian single-seater is the car that has lost the least performance compared to 2020. Balancing is finally no longer a problem. This factor, although trivial, is very important. Finally, the Cavallino technicians have the opportunity to work on the set to improve performance, without having to lose entire sessions to limit the damage.
The first reflection we can make concerns the set-up of the two Maranello cars. At downforce level, observing the speed track, we discover that the setup used by the drivers is the same. The Spaniard’s eighth place is due, in addition to a few too many corrections during the lap, to the slightly slower cornering speed compared to his teammate. This data is visible in T9-T10 and in some curves of the third sector. The speed on the straight is also different. As the Spaniard himself stated in the post-qualifying session, on the number 55 the rear tires were not in perfect temperature. This factor did not concede to Carlos the ideal traction and take full advantage of all the power available. The Monegasque in fact manages to have 2 km / h more speed on the main line.
Compared to what we were able to analyze in FP2 the graph relating to the use of the transmission is slightly different. In the push lap that Carlos made in the third part of qualifying, the Ferrari driver used a lower gear only in turn 1. The goal is to enjoy more traction at the exit. Too bad, precisely at this point, for the correction that in fact partially compromised the session. Thanks to the telemetry relating to the laps expressed by the Ferrari power unit, the detail mentioned on Friday, concerning the RPM of the Italian engine, is very visible. Compared to Charles, Carlos “pulls” the gears more, making the change later than his teammate.
Furthermore, from this graph, observing the curvatures produced, we see how both Reds were in full power for the first time this season. The telemetry relating to the braking system does not offer us particular food for thought. The only difference, however not too obvious, must be recorded in the third sector. In fact, in turn 13, Charles brakes not continuously. These small differences are mainly related to the driving style, even if, given the excited moment in the classification phase, any tiny discrepancy can be interpreted as a small burr.
If, on the other hand, we observe the telemetry graph corresponding to the accelerator, the variations to be taken into consideration are different. In the first sector, precisely turn 2-3, the Monegasque applied more force to the pedal. While if we move our eye to the curves in rapid succession 5-6-7, a point often complicated to manage especially in qualifying, we notice how Charles partializes about 95%, compared to Carlos’ 82% . Even in the approach to the 13 there is a gap on the gas pedal. In this case, however, the difference is much smaller.
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