The start of the 2024 Formula 1 championship has been particularly encouraging for Scuderia Ferrari. In the first rounds of the current season, the SF-24 single-seater has demonstrated a great ability to adjust to various changes in terms of track conditions, clearly superior to that of its predecessor. However, in the speed of Formula 1, those who remain stationary risk slipping backward. The main topic of discussion is that of updates, with Ferrari preparing for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix with a wide range of aerodynamic innovations and more, which are set to be introduced on the SF-24 car at the Imola circuit and will be briefly tested by the Maranello technicians on Thursday and on Friday at the Fiorano circuit by taking advantage by the second filming day of the season.
The days leading up to the Imola weekend are therefore becoming increasingly intense: at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, the SF-24 car will evolve and transition, as defined by all, to its 2.0 version. A significant package that will see the aerodynamic concepts of the 2024 Formula single-seater with some clearly visible changes from the sidepods’ inlets to the shapes of the bodywork. Not only the aerodynamic appearance of the car body will change, but also many other minor elements, both visibles and less so. Obviously, minor in terms of aesthetics, since every intervention, albeit small, brings several advantages in terms of lap time or possibility to further develop the concept.
Just as defined by McLaren team principal Andrea Stella in a recent interview after the Miami Grand Prix, “every intervention can bring performance.” A clear sign that these single-seaters still have enormous development margins, with teams discovering race after race the areas to intervene for improvement. Translating this concept to Ferrari, the interventions will have to address some of the key weaknesses that have emerged in the various stages of the 2024 Formula 1 championship. Even in the Miami Grand Prix, the SF-24 had some difficulties in slow corners, especially in turning and to a small extent in traction phases. This latter aspect is not strictly related to aerodynamic load but rather to the mechanical side where the rear suspension system plays a fundamental role.
However, the rear setup can be heavily influenced by aerodynamic load, with the suspension system able to adopt softer setups in favor of traction. In fact, with a higher level of downforce, the energy received by the tires is greater, resulting in advantages in terms of warm-up and performance. Improving traction in slow corners, which will be important on circuits like Monaco, requires a more solid and directional front end. Ferrari will make changes on this aspect, like McLaren, linked to the suspension mountings to the wheel hubs, modifying some of the characteristic attachments. The front suspension will then undergo further changes, with redesigned triangle covers to guide the new incident airflow.
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But the innovations of the SF-24 will not only have a visible impact, as Ferrari will almost certainly intervene on the 066/10 power unit. After the first six events, completed without any technical issues, it is time to introduce a new, fresh power unit capable of extracting maximum performance potential. Coupled with the new power unit, we might see an optimization of the hybrid software, an area where Ferrari can gain some lap time. In the Miami Grand Prix weekend, Ferrari and Red Bull reached a state of balance and were closely matched, both in terms of top speeds and overall pace. The new power unit should allow Ferrari to begin rotating components for rounds where horsepower takes a backseat to chassis and aerodynamics.
Therefore, an intense home race awaits Scuderia Ferrari in Italy, where there will be no room for mistakes, as McLaren and Red Bull are lurking. For this reason, the SF-24 car will hit the track tomorrow and the day after with the SF-24 2.0 at Fiorano to gather as much data as possible before the three hours of free practice in Imola.
Source: f1ingenerale
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