F1, SF-24: why tires shouldn't be a problem for Ferrari at Miami International Autodrome

Scuderia Ferrari has studied the events that took place in the Chinese Grand Prix in great detail. Several tests have been held in recent days in order to increase know-how. A topic that, despite various factors, like last year, is slowing down the ambitions of the Maranello team. The degradation issue seems largely resolved as the SF-24 single-seater doesn’t destroy the tires. On the contrary, it treats them well and over the course of a stint, their consumption is well managed by the drivers. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc don’t do anything special, just a bit of attention when required, and the job is done.

Charles Leclerc himself confirmed in an interview for the media after the Japanese Grand Prix, after a smooth run and low tire degradation with the medium tires in the first stint at the 5.807-kilometre Suzuka International Racing Course. So we are talking about a natural and essential characteristic of the Maranello team’s 2024 Formula 1 car, arising from a factual flow management on the car’s body, combined with the effectiveness of the suspension setups. Finally, it must be said, after years of suffering on this issue, degradation no longer worries the people in Maranello: drivers, technicians, and engineers. But unfortunately, there is a downside. The SF-24 struggles a lot to bring the Pirelli tires up to temperature.

Getting the compounds to work in certain competitive scenarios seemed almost like a remarkable achievement, especially if the temperatures are low. Providing the correct energy to the tires is not a simple and guaranteed thing. On the contrary, to achieve a factual hysteresis cycle of the tire, the process of deformation of the new compound during the outlap must be able to provide the right temperature in every part of the compound. If successful, the working range is reached, and accessing the maximum grip of the compound is therefore possible. Conversely, grip fades, and consequently, the car’s competitiveness decreases.

For this very reason, Scuderia Ferrari has worked hard again, this time with data collected from the Shanghai weekend in hand, in order to achieve the “knowledge step” that it thought it had after the race at the Suzuka circuit in the Japanese Grand Prix. Pirelli has long since announced the types of tires for the next round of the 2024 Formula 1 championship, which will take place at the Miami International Autodrome in Florida. We are talking about Hard (C2), Medium (C3), and Soft (C4) compounds. A choice based on the characteristics of Florida’s reference track, considering that the abrasiveness of the track surface is not high. However, considering latitude, longitude, and time of year, high temperatures could favor a consistent level of terminal degradation this weekend.

Miami doesn’t scare Ferrari; downforce levels have been chosen and attention to parc ferme

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Keeping in mind the hard work done inside the factory back in Maranello, Scuderia Ferrari heads to Miami convinced that the tire issue won’t be a problem at all. As mentioned, tire wear doesn’t worry the department dedicated to the dynamics of the Scuderia’s vehicle. The commitment to finding a setup capable of fully exploiting the Pirelli tires will be very high. This is considering that the mercury column will reach significant levels in Miami. We are talking about temperatures that should approach 30 degrees Celsius on race day, Sunday.

The Italian car has shown that it knows how to manage degradation, as seen in at the Bahrain International Circuit and then in the Chinese Grand Prix. Furthermore, as reported by various Italian news media outlets, studies conducted in the hypothetical field of simulation within the Ferrari Racing Department have allocated a quantity of downforce capable of “curing” the tires optimally. Regarding the above-mentioned activation, a sore point in these first six rounds of the 2024 Formula 1 racing campaign, the temperatures in the United States round will greatly assist Ferrari. This situation will, in fact, be fully exploited thanks to the work done on the warm-up strategy.

Furthermore, taking a look at the layout of the American track, we notice several areas resembling the Albert Park circuit, a track where the two SF-24 cars showed very good performance. However, in Miami, there are two long straights of high-speed travel where aerodynamic efficiency will be crucial, as well as traction to achieve considerable top speeds. Long straights tend to cool the front tires, which Ferrari has thought about extensively, linking back to the previous discussion regarding tire activation.

The challenge for the Prancing Horse will undoubtedly be testing because although there is a strong desire to put pressure back on Red Bull, playing the role of the second force ahead of McLaren, only the track will provide confirmation in this regard. All this, without forgetting that for the second time this season, the Sprint Race will be part of the weekend. A special format that, in part, as seen at the Shanghai International Circuit, made life decidedly more complicated for the Maranello team. It’s precisely under this aspect that the another useful consideration is made: as we’ve seen with Lando Norris in the Chinese Grand Prix, the setup changes in a Sprint weekend can undoubtedly make a big difference.

The new rule of the double parc ferme introduced by the International Federation for the sprint weekend, on the sidelines of various meetings in the past Formula 1 championship to give more importance to Sunday’s race, offers the opportunity to adjust the setup of the car after the 100 kilometer mini race on Saturday. An opportunity that McLaren driver Lando Norris, in Shanghai, although with minor adjustments, has shown how crucial it can be. Scuderia Ferrari has understood this at its own expense, being able to make the most of this important “concession” from the FIA, which the Maranello technicians somewhat underestimated in the Chinese Grand Prix.

Ferrari SF-24 pit stop