F1 Qatar GP: Ferrari SF24 improves in fast corners, but cold temperatures a handicap. Ferrari maximized its result in the Qatar Sprint.

Ferrari remains far from pole position in Qatar. The 23rd qualifying session of the F1 season is surprisingly dominated by Max Verstappen. The Dutchman struggled throughout Friday and was not at all satisfied with his RB20, leading the team to overhaul the car completely, even replacing the rear wing. With the new aerodynamic setup, the Milton Keynes cars performed significantly better, and Verstappen’s exceptional talent allowed him to get the most out of his car.

Credit is also due to Mercedes, who once again worked impressively. The unexpectedly low temperatures during the Qatar weekend greatly benefited the two W15s. Although Hamilton failed to deliver a notable result, his teammate managed to handle the oversteering tendencies of the car exceptionally well. Thanks to the controversial penalty handed to Verstappen, the GPDA director will start from pole in the weekend’s second race at Losail.

McLaren also didn’t perform at its best. The Woking team faced similar issues to Ferrari, with both MCL38s lacking rotation. However, McLaren’s cars mitigated this flaw better, generating significant downforce in medium-speed corners and maintaining high minimum speeds mid-corner. This advantage of just 0.080 seconds over the number 16 Ferrari could prove crucial in the race, especially given the difficulty of overtaking at Losail.

F1, Qatar GP 2024: Red Bull Shines After Setup Changes
This was undoubtedly the tightest qualifying session of the year, and Verstappen often excels in such scenarios. The Red Bull seen in qualifying was a different car compared to Friday and the Sprint Race, where Verstappen frequently complained about oversteer over the radio. Before the penalty, George Russell was set to start alongside Verstappen, continuing his strong form with the W15, which thrived in the favorable climatic conditions. Preliminary telemetry analysis shows that the cars were closely matched in performance.

The RB20 excelled in the first sector and remained competitive in the other two. Telemetry reveals that Russell likely lost pole position due to a slight error in Turn 4. Missing the apex, he lost 17 km/h through Turn 4 and another 6 km/h in Turn 5, costing him 0.090 seconds. This, combined with Max Verstappen’s 3% higher full-throttle performance, gave the Dutchman the edge.

Russell dominated the second sector, maintaining higher minimum cornering speeds, particularly in the long sweeps of Turns 12-13-14. However, he lost another 0.050 seconds in Turn 15, where Verstappen carried 6 km/h more at the apex and achieved a quicker throttle recovery. Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc were among the few drivers able to take Turn 14 flat-out, highlighting the RB20’s high-speed downforce capabilities at 290 km/h. Russell’s understeer in Turn 4 forced him to brake longer, transferring load to the front and avoiding running wide, costing him crucial time.

F1, Qatar GP 2024: Ferrari Outshines McLaren in Fast Corners of Sector 3
As seen in Las Vegas and Friday’s Sprint Shootout, lower temperatures again penalized Ferrari. A mere 5°C drop turned a 1-2 finish in FP1 into 4-5 in the Sprint Qualifying and 5-7 in Sunday’s qualifying. Although thermal challenges were less severe in this session, telemetry shows they remained evident in some parts of the track. Ferrari struggled with understeer, particularly in medium-speed corners (140-180 km/h), losing 3-5 km/h in minimum speeds, notably affecting Leclerc’s performance in Sector 1.

From Sector 2 onward, Ferrari’s performance improved. Charles Leclerc effectively used a trailing throttle technique, maintaining slight throttle input through corners to balance the car and counteract oversteer while seeking early full-throttle acceleration. The SF-24 demonstrated impressive downforce generation in wide-radius turns, taking the 12-13-14 sequence flat-out and lifting only 25% in Turn 15 compared to Norris’s 50%.

This performance is a positive sign for Ferrari fans, as the car outperformed McLaren in fast corners. In conclusion, Ferrari maximized its result, particularly in its Constructors’ Championship battle with McLaren, reducing the 30-point gap separating the teams. Catching Russell’s Mercedes will require managing tire temperatures effectively in the opening laps before mounting an attack.