Ferrari could have done better in the Sprint qualifying session for the twenty-first round of the 2024 Formula 1 championship. On the other hand, the first free practice session for the Brazilian Grand Prix did not yet provide entirely clear indications of the real field performance. The red team seemed to struggle a bit on a track that doesn’t highlight its strengths and had to make multiple adjustments to the setup. Ferrari’s mechanics worked on both the front and rear, attempting to adjust the ride height. Relying on newly resurfaced asphalt, the Maranello team chose a ride height that was too low, causing the SF-24 to bounce excessively and become unstable.
Additionally, it seemed the Italian car lacked a perfect connection between the two axles, forcing the drivers into corrections that effectively limited their lap times. McLaren, on the other hand, completed the first free practice session with the fastest times. The Woking team seemed to nail the setup right from the start, thanks to better simulator correlation. Red Bull primarily focused on race pace, with Max Verstappen completing over ten laps with a high fuel load.
F1, Brazil GP: Verstappen deals with degradation while simulating Sunday’s race
As can be seen by analyzing the telemetry data from FP1, each driver ran with different fuel loads, simulating either the Sprint Race or race pace. The two Ferrari drivers and Lando Norris opted for a simulation with low fuel. The teams competing for the constructors’ championship chose to use the few available laps to maximize performance for Saturday’s short race. Only with data from the Sprint Race will the setup be adjusted for the Sunday race. In this “adaptation” process, allowed by the parc fermé rules, all teams use mathematical models.
These models are based on the vast amount of data collected throughout the season, adjusted for the Interlagos track. F1 teams can predict the main race’s progression based on Saturday’s data. Although racing with about a third of the fuel tank, these predictions give an accurate picture of full-tank performance. These models can forecast tire degradation, strain, and ideal strategy, despite not testing with high fuel loads. Returning to the figures, Ferrari once again proves strong in race pace.
Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc were a few tenths faster than Lando Norris, who has a car with better balance over a single lap. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell benefited from the more rubbered-in track to perform their high-fuel simulation. Unlike their competitors, the two drivers from the German team dedicated the central part of the practice session to fast-lap simulation. Only in the final part of the single practice session of the Brazilian weekend did Mercedes complete 10 laps each with their drivers.
Moreover, George Russell, in addition to using the better tire compound, also had a fresher set compared to his teammate. Lewis Hamilton completed the practice using only one set of medium tires, on which he completed 30 laps. Despite this, it’s hard to determine the fuel load carried by George and Lewis, who may have chosen to half-fill their tanks to prepare for both the Sprint Race and the regular Sunday race. George Russell was losing almost a second per lap to Carlos Sainz, although he was three-tenths faster than Hamilton.
Verstappen completed the longest simulation among the top drivers, starting with a heavy fuel load. This allowed him, in his Red Bull RB20, to complete 14 laps. The reigning F1 world champion split the race pace test in two parts, initially testing for Sunday’s race and then adjusting for the Sprint Race. Max adjusted the steering wheel settings for increased power output. After lap 10, Verstappen completed three laps under 1:15 to simulate, as instructed from the pit wall, Saturday’s 100 km mini-race.
As for tire degradation, it was observed that the abrasion from the newly resurfaced track and front graining reduced tire grip. Verstappen seemed to handle degradation best with two different car setups. However, it’s worth noting that in the first seven laps, the world champion couldn’t prevent an increase in lap times early in the stint. Red Bull confirmed the recent difficulties they’ve faced in race pace, which is why the Austrian team primarily focused on simulating Sunday’s race.
In a competitive scenario where Max will serve a five-place grid penalty, Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri demonstrated minimal tire degradation, thanks to effective tire management and different engine map settings to test more car configurations. The lap times from Sainz and Russell remained steady, generally around their initial lap times, without showing excessive wear. The initial laps with a high fuel load confirmed the SF-24’s competitive rhythm and tire management.
Nevertheless, conditions varied among the cars, and only today’s Sprint Race will provide more reliable indications of the real performance differences. The Ferrari engineers will need to find a compromise setup to improve rear stability after the Sprint, allowing the drivers to stay close to McLaren in qualifying. Then, Leclerc and Sainz can use their stronger pace to attempt overtakes on the papaya cars and continue chasing the constructors’ championship dream.
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