Ferrari’s communication in Formula 1 is always well-coordinated. Of course, there was some sarcasm in that first sentence. Our editorial team doesn’t find it convenient to either praise or bury the Prancing Horse. Without a doubt, it would be more gratifying for everyone if Ferrari stopped trotting and started galloping. A benefit that could extend to everyone: the Maranello team first and foremost, the fans, and all those who write or create content about the Italian team.
To this, we must add a concept. Defending Ferrari out of bias makes no sense. And it has nothing to do with supporting the team. It’s not as if we’re going to war to defend the homeland. Moreover, it’s not even ethical. So, to those who do it, good for them, but for us, that kind of attitude has never been of interest. We prefer to scrutinize every little detail, and not to be mean or adversarial, no sir.
What we want to do is understand, and perhaps help fans understand, when possible, what’s happening with Ferrari. Whether we are talking about technical matters or pure communication. Today, we want to delve into these topics, using both. Let’s start with an analysis of the floor. A brief summary to understand what Ferrari brought last weekend at the Bahrain International Circuit, what they intended to achieve, and what actually happened on track.
The group of technicians and engineers led by Ferrari Head of Aerodynamics Diego Tondi developed a new floor. A major component already conceived and studied in recent months, which, as we know, is crucial for generating aerodynamic downforce. Without a proper floor, ground-effect cars don’t work, or they only work intermittently. And that is more or less what happened to the SF-25 single-seater, a car that is unable to optimize its performance under various running conditions.
The Maranello team’s goal was to strengthen the correlation between this element and the car’s mechanical side. A rather complex requirement which, as seen with the Woking team, if achieved, offers significant advantages. That is why the MCL39 car, besides generating a lot of downforce, manages to distribute it effectively across the entire length of the floor. Ferrari’s aerodynamic map isn’t on McLaren’s level.
The papaya-colored cars display enormous versatility, which allows them, unlike the Ferrari car, to limit compromises and fully exploit their strengths. With the new floor, the SF-25 changed its center of pressure, as the load distribution is different. Does it take time to understand and optimize this component? The answer is yes. It is very rare for such an upgrade to deliver the expected benefits after just two corners.
So what is the gap to McLaren and what are the expectations of the new floor in terms of lap time gains? Technical director Loic Serra made sure to clarify a point. He did so weeks ago, stating that the correlation between simulation and track was correct. To this we add the various feedback from drivers, technicians, engineers, and from Frederic Vasseur himself, the team principal of Maranello: all of them, in unison, claimed that the latest version of the floor brought the expected benefits in Bahrain. Lewis Hamilton was enthusiastic on Thursday.
In fact, he was the first team member to confirm the development, describing himself as enthusiastic and excited. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion thought this component could solve Ferrari’s problems, or at least some of them, by delivering a time-based benefit, of course. Now let’s consider another aspect. From the analyses carried out after each Grand Prix, have calculated the average time gap per lap.
We are talking especially about race pace, since the performance in the qualifying session can often be misleading due to the tyre factor and other various factors such as driver errors on the decisive attempt. In terms of tyres we are referring to activation, which on Saturdays can produce huge differences depending on how the tyre is used, up to a second of variation. Even over a 300 kilometer distance, tyres matter, obviously. But under equal compounds and conditions, when the cars are within their operating window, a value emerged.
Ferrari is on average three-tenths of a second slower per lap than McLaren. And that is a conservative estimate, because in some situations, the gap was more than four-tenths. The new floor was meant to reduce this delta. No one expected it to eliminate it completely, that’s true. Charles Leclerc mentioned it, saying it was a clear step forward but still not enough to catch the super McLaren.
Doing some quick math, and based on a few comments from direct insiders in the Bahrain paddock, the Maranello team expected to gain about a tenth and a half—enough to halve the gap with the class leaders. This, as mentioned, was confirmed by the drivers. So, what actually happened? Under equal conditions, little or nothing changed. In the second stint on Mediums, Ferrari matched McLaren’s times.
However, there were reasons for that. Delaying the pit stop with fresher tyres gave the team a performance advantage. Moreover, up front, Oscar Piastri was managing his car heavily, only pushing when required. That’s why the gap could have been potentially bigger. Meanwhile, on Hards, the performance delta we mentioned earlier became even more evident. In this scenario, we must add another factor.
Yes, because it is never easy to quantify the true potential pace of a car under optimal conditions. For this reason—and because Bahrain was the debut for the new floor, with which Ferrari was supposed to be faster based on all the data collected to learn how to maximize its performance, can we give the update the benefit of the doubt in terms of time gain? Who knows, we will see in just a few days at the 6.174-kilometre Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia.
As for the car’s handling in qualifying, things did not change much. McLaren and Mercedes were setting cornering lines without needing constant correction. An important benefit, because it gives the driver confidence and allows them to push the car to the limit. Something the Ferrari drivers couldn’t do. A clear example comes from Charles Leclerc’s Q3 session.
In addition to some imprecisions in turns 4, 11, and 13, where his racing line was shakier than those of the rival teams, Charles Leclerc began his best flying lap, the one that earned him third on the grid, which later became second after George Russell received a penalty, with significant oversteer. The Monegasque driver lifted off during full acceleration, a delay that had a notable impact on top speed.
All this is to say that, whether with little or a lot of fuel onboard, the limitations of the 677 project have come to light. To conclude, keeping in mind the expectations that the team made public, let’s add two more comments. The Monegasque driver, after the second free practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix, pointed out that the floor’s effectiveness would be more visible in Jeddah. Meanwhile, Frederic Vasseur played it down, stating that time gains would be a matter of hundredths.
After all this, one question naturally arises when considering the contradictory statements from those involved and Ferrari’s performance with the new floor: what if the update didn’t work as expected, and that’s exactly why Frederic Vasseur chose to lower expectations? The logic in that reasoning seems sound. We will wait for Jeddah, hoping not to face unpleasant surprises.
— see video above —
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