Two mini-seasons have marked this first part of the 2024 F1 World Championship for Scuderia Ferrari, with a pre- and post-Monaco phase. Out of 14 races, Ferrari has won twice and appeared on the podium several times. However, after the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona, the arrival of aerodynamic updates negatively impacted the performance of the SF-24 single-seater. It’s been a tough time for everyone, but Charles Leclerc believes there will be several benefits and a Ferrari recovery after the summer break.
In an interview with Motorsport, Charles Leclerc spoke openly about various elements that have characterized this first part of the 2024 Formula 1 season. From his aggressive driving to the difficulties in extracting the potential from a more temperamental SF-24, which had performed excellently up until the Spanish Grand Prix.
“Before Monaco, we brought few updates to the track,” Charles Leclerc admitted, “but all the updates were in line with expectations. The overall stability of the car’s platform helped Carlos and me extract the maximum. In Montreal, there were other factors; obviously, we didn’t achieve the results we hoped for, and the reliability issue in the race cost us a good result.”
“After Spain, something changed. We brought new developments to the car that (in simulations) had shown good numbers, but on the track, we discovered that these updates triggered the car’s bouncing.” This bouncing resulted from the excessive load generated by the new package, which caused issues with both the front and rear suspension. These mechanical difficulties were immediately noticed after the Spanish GP and later confirmed in Austria during trackside analysis. In the following races, I was very aggressive with the setup to try to find solutions that could limit the bouncing, and I think I paid a high price for this approach.” – the Monegasque driver pointed out.
“This year, we found ourselves in a situation very similar to Zandvoort 2023 and went through the same process in the three or four races following the Spanish GP. The downside is that it took us longer than in 2023, but in the end, we gained a much deeper understanding of what was happening. We learned a lot, and if I found myself in a similar situation again, I would pursue the same approach—it’s worth it.” – he added.
“If we had been in the fight, we probably would have had to focus on optimizing the weekend, but given the situation, I’m sure it was the right choice, and we’ll see the benefits for the rest of the season.” With this final statement, Charles Leclerc seems to place a lot of trust in the team working at the Maranello factory, hinting at something that might be coming for the SF-24 car.
In addition to the aerodynamic updates confirmed by team principal Frederic Vasseur after the Belgian Grand Prix, there could be some other adjustments. These solutions aim to mechanically address the bouncing and could positively impact the rest of 2024 and 2025.
Source: f1ingenerale
