In the first two years of the new regulations, Red Bull set a benchmark with its rear suspension, and Ferrari seems to have caught on to the trick of the various Red Bull cars.
The first Grand Prix of 2024 is behind us. Red Bull remains the benchmark, but the Maranello team has proven itself to be the second force on track in this start of the season, ahead of Mercedes, Aston Martin and McLaren. If the first two years under these regulations saw a Ferrari strong in corners (the F1-75) and then in straights (the SF-23), the SF-24 appears to be the right mix between the two. However, in Maranello, they seem to have been able to merge the two cars into a single model beyond expectations. After some studies and various simulations, it appears that Ferrari has understood and adopted Red Bull’s rear suspension trick.
The first championship round, as mentioned before, has given a clear performance ranking. As for Ferrari, the Maranello team brought a car to the track that has not yet revealed its full potential. One of the factors hiding the true performance is the brake issue that slowed down both drivers. However, there are some visible and invisible new features that have made the Ferrari SF-24 leap in quality.
One of many is the completely redesigned Pull-Rod rear suspension terms of in geometry and gearbox attachments. The rear element had raised quite a few doubts during its unveiling, with several media outlets and F1 analysts considering it “old” compared to the concept introduced by Red Bull in 2022. However, this opinion seems not to have affected the Maranello technicians in the least, especially Enrico Cardile who confirmed the total overhaul of the rear system. What was demonstrated in Bahrain confirms that this new suspension manages to fill and exceed the shortcomings of the old geometry.
Observing the telemetry, it emerged that compared to 2023, the new Ferrari car has improved in all corners, especially those at medium-high speeds. A gain of about 9-10 km/h in cornering speed, due to the new aerodynamic map and the interaction between various components, including the suspension.
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Indeed, the latter is the main reason for the gain, as it allows for the car’s stability in support and the aerodynamic map itself. Besides this element, it seems that Ferrari has found something extra in the rear suspension at high speeds. Observing some photos from Bahrain, the SF-24 on the starting straight adopts a position not parallel to the road surface.
It almost seems like the rear of the SF-24 “collapses” to the ground, letting the entire underbody slide. This behavior becomes apparent if we observe the ground clearance difference between the Venturi inlet and Diffuser, with the SF-24 appearing to be in a slight squat position at high speeds. Probably this movement is programmed beyond a certain speed and a certain predetermined aerodynamic load. All this occurs together with the DRS open, which instead reduces the load that the rear suspension has to support.
This technical choice allows the SF-24 to move back the point of maximum depression inside the floor, significantly improving aerodynamic efficiency. In addition to the floor, it improves the efficiency of other wing surfaces, as the incidence on the flow impacting the wings is reduced. However, this movement of the chassis must also be precisely controlled to avoid excessive bouncing during braking phases. A condition that could create quite a few difficulties in braking zones where a lot of vertical load is still needed. Moreover, to further optimize the new rear suspension system, a small update to the connecting arms to the gearbox bell should arrive for the next weekend at the Jeddah circuit.
Scuderia Ferrari is still in search of the ideal setup for the new rear suspension, crucial on a track like the Saudi Arabian one. Being a circuit with an extremely high average speed, the front and rear must work in unison, providing stability and confidence to Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
Source: f1ingenerale
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