Ferrari is working hard in trying to understand how to make the most of the Pirelli 2021 tires that have a stiffer construction and a profile design on the front that is different from last year’s.
In Portugal, the Maranello team struggled to check if the tires worked in the right temperature window to limit wear and given the asphalt that in Portimao exceeded 40 degrees, the SF21 encountered difficulties with the medium compound.
Finding the right alchemy is as interesting as it is complicated because it can be worth a lot of performance. While in the rear solutions have been studied to fine-tune the rear suspension more suitable for the Barcelona track, in the front the technicians have worked in particular on the brake duct of the SF21.
In the Montmelò pits, a solution has been revised that the Scuderia has already used in the past: the carbon discs are asymmetrical. The one on the left side of the car is more open than the particular equivalent observed on the right side, a sign that the Catalan track requires a differentiated warm up of the tires.
Remember that the heat produced by the discs is not simply expelled from the front corner, but can be used to heat the rims and consequently the air (actually gas) contained in the tires.
Barcelona is a clockwise track with 16 curves including eight left curves, but the most challenging of the track are those that turn right. It should not be surprising, therefore, that in search of the best balance, solutions for discs with very different designs are developed.
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