F1, Melbourne: Ferrari SF-24 reduced part of gap to Red Bull “thanks” to graining. Ferrari SF-24 reduced part of gap to Red Bull by better managing graining at Albert Park.

Scuderia Ferrari achieved a splendid victory in the third round of the 2024 Formula 1 championship. Melbourne was colored in red with an amazing one-two finish to beat a Red Bull team that was undoubtedly affected by several issues this weekend. The RB20 proved it could not adapt optimally to the characteristics of the Albert Park circuit and decided to qualify with a setup that allowed them to have a certain advantage in the fight for pole position, while being aware that they would have to sacrifice something in terms of race pace. This is based on the excellent performance that the Austrian cars typically demonstrate with full fuel tanks, with a performance delta between Saturday and Sunday increasingly competitive against their direct rivals.

Fortunately, for once luck wasn’t on their side and manifested itself in the form of brake disk problems, which ended Max Verstappen series of nine consecutive wins, starting with the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix. From the very first corners of the Australian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen noticed some braking difficulties that soon turned into a nightmare when the right rear of the blue racing-colored car began producing thick smoke. The Dutchman had no choice but to retire the car due to a silly but in this case fatal issue. His teammate brought car number 11 to the finish line in fifth position. It was an anonymous race for Sergio Perez, but Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, revealed there was a technical problem that affected the Mexican also.

Sergio Perez’s floor was damaged due to contact in the very early stages of the Australian Grand Prix. This context slowed down the Mexican’s pace, depriving the thirty-four-year-old driver of the chance to fight at the top with McLaren and Scuderia Ferrari. But there are other interesting aspects that have narrowed the gap this weekend, making the RB20 a more human car. We refer to tire management, which, with a high quantity of fuel on board, would undoubtedly have created a challenging situation even for the Dutchman in the battle with the red team.

The absence of thermal degradation replaced by graining favored the Ferrari SF-24 compared to Red Bull.

The track surface in Melbourne is about two years old, as the last work on the concrete surface of this racing circuit dates back to the 2022 Formula 1 season. We’re talking about a medium level of abrasion. Compared to last season, tire manufacturer Pirelli decided to bring a range of softer compounds: C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium), and C5 (Soft), a factor that changed the teams’ strategies, forcing them to make two pit stops. From the first two free practice sessions which were held on Friday, during the usual race pace simulations, we noticed the presence of graining, a tedious phenomenon that negatively affects tire degradation.

This aspect made tire management a lot more complicated, as in Melbourne, the energy input into the tire’s central structure is low, and consequently, the tread suffers tremendously, leading to graining on both axles, which, as we know, significantly reduces tire wear resistance. In this regard, it’s worth remembering the recent past. We’re talking about the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix, where Ferrari put together a fantastic weekend, coming close to victory.

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The Australian Grand Prix was a race in which the Safety Car disadvantaged Charles Leclerc, although it certainly must be said that car number 16, among other things, did not enjoy a level of competitiveness as high as the Ferrari SF-24 and generally suffered a larger gap from the Austrian cars compared to the present. All this to say that in the third event of the 2024 Formula 1 championship campaign, Red Bull would have suffered even with Max Verstappen on track until the end of the race. The Dutchman has a much higher performance level than Checo Perez, as the Dutchman is able to capitalize on the strengths of the RB20 single-seater, a very solid car and with very few flaws. For this reason, the retirement of the reigning world champion left us with a big question mark.

The Milton Keynes department responsible for vehicle dynamics has done a truly fantastic job in conceiving mechanisms capable of treating the compounds extremely gently. This aspect has become clear in recent seasons. The track surface of the Albert Park circuit did not present heavy thermal limitations but rather graining issues with the formation of abrasions that lower tire grip. This is a phenomenon that Red Bull demonstrated suffering from, contrary to Ferrari (as also seen in Las Vegas) and this is why Carlos Sainz had the chance to challenge Max Verstappen for the lead.

Looking to the future, here’s the flip side of the coin. Suzuka, the next race on the Formula 1 calendar in two weeks, is a significantly more abrasive track. This element could likely restore the distances between Red Bull and Ferrari, which appeared considerably narrower this weekend in Australia. We just have to wait for verification, remembering that in Japan, the Maranello team should bring a first set of upgrades while waiting for the more substantial update package we will later see at the Imola Grand Prix in Italy. The Prancing Horse is trying to push the accelerator and will continue to do so, ready to capitalize on any other opportunities that may present themselves in the upcoming races.

Source: FUnoanalisitecnica