Ferrari comes out of an F1 weekend where it was not able to maximize the result. This has caused some disappointment. However, the EVO package of the SF-24 provided the feedback that the engineers were waiting for, with a widening of the ideal operating window. The car still needs to be fine-tuned with updates through the optimization process. This must be done on the track in order to achieve maximum performance in all conditions. Some short-term solvable limits have emerged that the Maranello team knows it can resolve with work on the simulator.
At the Imola circuit, we saw how, in general, Ferrari arrived at the first braking point with a lower speed compared to direct competitors, namely Red Bull and McLaren. This difference is clearly related to the use of the electric power released by the Ferrari power unit. In fact, there is a very different power delivery strategy compared to the two aforementioned teams. One possible response could be to achieve peaks in delivery during exit phases to help traction, a crucial aspect in slow corners. We note that the acceleration phase of the updated SF-24 is no longer among its strengths.
Red Bull has made great strides in this area, working intensively on the rear suspension since January of last year. Additionally, during the race on the banks of the Santerno river, we saw different behavior of the SF-24 car at Piratella, the high-speed corner 9, between the first and second stints. As the car lightened, the red car progressively improved performance in fast sections. There is a plausible explanation for this. The Ferrari F1 car used torsional elements with lower stiffness, allowing for a greater roll angle.
This action was taken to help, once again, the traction phases. With a full tank, the load transfer is greater and consequently the vehicle’s roll angle in the corner is also greater. With less fuel, the roll angle decreases and the aerodynamic platform remains more stable. On the narrow streets of the Principality, all teams will try to impose the maximum available downforce, shifting much of the mechanical balance towards the rear. Ferrari is doing well with aerodynamics, although Monaco is unique, so everything will need to be confirmed on the track next weekend.
The 2.0 version of the SF-24 single-seater produces a lot of downforce that so far has appeared quite stable in different driving conditions, especially considering the variation in the vehicle’s characteristic angles: roll, yaw, and pitch. Monte Carlo is scattered with various bumps along the city circuit that F1 cars will have to tackle, a factor that requires an increase in the ground clearance of the cars. Additionally, lower suspension stiffness leads to continuous movement of the underbody in three-dimensional space. Variations that are not well managed can generate harmful aerodynamic instabilities.
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This factor needs to be monitored, trying to understand how sensitive the floor of the updated SF-24 is to changes in ride height. From a suspension standpoint, as mentioned, Ferrari no longer excels in traction. However, at Imola, a setup with a balance already shifted towards the rear was tested, and in this context, the Italian car responded well. An important sign for Monaco, where the car will mount a lot of downforce at the rear, and the mechanical balance will be very rear-focused, also considering that at the front, driving reactivity and precision will be sought.
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In this regard, Ferrari should present a different, high-downforce rear wing specification or one adapted to generate greater downforce. In addition, the hybrid strategy will be implemented to favor corners such as 8, in order to optimize maximum speed towards the tunnel, as well as for 11 and 19, which lead back to the main straight. On this type of track, the car could adapt very well, not only because of the excellent aerodynamic downforce but also because fewer compromises need to be found in terms of setup.
There are not many differences between the three sectors of the track, so overall we will see cars closer in performance. As for tires, we know Monaco imposes various challenges. The low average speeds and the layout generally lead to the front tires having lower temperatures, which consequently provide slower compound activation. The rear tires, on the other hand, considering the various traction points, tend to “light up” very quickly. The tendency towards thermal imbalance is therefore significant, a factor that must absolutely be avoided.
Ferrari generally puts little energy into the tire carcass. For this reason, a precise driver-in-the-loop setup has been studied to sufficiently “heat up” the front tires, creating the required “friction.” Meanwhile, at the rear, the SF-24 EVO has shown a certain propensity for micro-slips. This refers to a phenomenon that has also troubled the rear of the Italian car in certain contexts. Work on the warm-up strategy will therefore be crucial in this regard, because in Monaco, the qualifying result is crucial unless there are tactical mistakes during the race.
The next F1 World Championship event is of fundamental importance for Ferrari. The Maranello team, after the updates brought to Imola, managed to reduce the gap to Red Bull to about seven seconds on that track. However, they had to contend with a very competitive McLaren, which was also capable of winning in Italy, an achievement missed by just a few tenths.
There are still problems to solve for the SF-24, even in its updated version. One major issue concerns the qualifying lap, a strong point for Charles Leclerc, who this year has not managed to make the difference as he has in the past, even last year with a car that was overall not as competitive as the one he is driving this season.
In Monaco, everything is practically decided on Saturday, although this does not guarantee victory the next day. Ferrari knows this well, given the debacle in 2022, when Charles Leclerc was essentially robbed of success by his own team. Fortunately, that was under different management, which is now practically gone.
The Monaco GP is an icon of motorsport, and Ferrari wants to return to victory after a seven-year drought, when Sebastian Vettel won in 2017 ahead of Kimi Raikkonen for a beautiful one-two finish. Maranello is working to keep pace with McLaren and Max Verstappen on the single lap: the MCL38 was the best car of the weekend, while the RB20 had several difficulties, and only Max Verstappen’s pure talent allowed him and the team to take pole and victory.
Charles Leclerc has shown he can secure pole position twice on his home streets, in 2021 with a far less competitive Ferrari, and in 2022. In both cases, incredibly, Charles never managed to win, and in one instance, he didn’t even start the race, having crashed at the Swimming Pool corner on Saturday with his SF21 after taking pole, and then putting the damaged car back on track on Sunday.
We’ve already discussed 2022. Last year was really a transitional one, so this week’s GP will be an opportunity for both Ferrari and Charles Leclerc to aim for victory again in Monaco. It won’t be easy, as Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, and Max Verstappen are tough competitors, and we must not underestimate any last-minute outsiders like Lewis Hamilton, not for his undeniable strength, but rather for the questionable strength of his Mercedes.
Ferrari, since Frederic Vasseur took over, has taken a clear direction. Especially this season, the French manager doesn’t want to set too many limits, especially since now he has a truly competitive car, unlike in 2023. The focus remains on maximizing the available package and trying to win, and stating this explicitly probably gives the necessary extra strength to achieve a great result.
Never play defensively, at least in the approach to the weekend. Then it’s clear how the free practice sessions can guide you one way or another, but in Monte Carlo, the most important thing is to do lap after lap, gain confidence, and understand where the limit is before hitting the wall. Ferrari will leave nothing to chance in the Principality; the challenge to Red Bull and McLaren is on.
Source: FUnoanalisitecnica
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