Paradoxically, the penalty received by Sergio Perez in the Abu Dhabi GP has caused more damage to Ferrari than to Red Bull. Thanks to the five seconds imposed by the stewards for the contact with Lando Norris, George Russell managed to climb onto the podium, allowing Mercedes to close the championship with a 3-point advantage over the prancing horse. This results in a gain in terms of prize money but also some disadvantages.
Ferrari, advantages, and disadvantages of losing the duel with Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship
Thanks to the second place secured in the Abu Dhabi GP, the Brackley-based team will be able to cash in a substantial sum from the prize money reserved for the teams: “There is a ranking in the constructors’ championship, and the standings are always worth eight million dollars,” said Sascha Roos on Sky Deutschland.
However, Ferrari could still offset the economic loss by having the opportunity to spend more hours in the wind tunnel for the development of the 2024 Formula One car.
According to the ATR, a progressive scale based on the positioning of teams in the constructors’ championship, the higher a team ranks, the less availability they have for wind tunnel testing. This rule was introduced in 2021 with the goal of leveling the performance between teams.
Taking the 2023 standings, for example, Red Bull will have only 70% of available hours, while Mercedes will have an additional 5%. In turn, Ferrari will enjoy an additional 5% compared to the Silver Arrows, estimated to be around two hours per week.
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“The time in the wind tunnel to improve the car is obviously a great incentive,” Sascha Roos adds. “Between second and third place, there are two extra hours a week to test the car in the tunnel. This way, you can check if the proposed development phases are adequate.”
Considering that Ferrari’s primary goal for 2024 is to develop the car as much as possible to close the gap with Red Bull, the 8 million lost in the duel with Mercedes might be relatively insignificant for the men from Maranello, as the objective is to play a leading role again from the early races of the next season.
Source: f1ingenerale
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