Scuderia Ferrari secures another podium in Formula 1. It must be admitted, last Sunday’s race in the Netherlands at the historic Zandvoort track surprised not only the fans but also the insiders themselves. In the top category of motorsport, for some cars, just a small change in the reference context can result in completely different performances, as demonstrated by the performance of the historic Italian team during the Dutch Grand Prix. Friday and Saturday’s qualifying had thrown the Maranello team into despair due to yet another underwhelming performance from the SF-24.
A great deal of optimism was needed to think about overturning the on-track hierarchy, which once again saw Ferrari as the tail end among the top teams. The improvement seen in the race even surprised the drivers, who cannot explain this unexpected progress. Typically, when a car performs better than simulations suggest, the drivers and team understand the reasons. Paradoxically, the most worrying aspect of last Sunday was mentioned by Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque driver, although satisfied with third place, emphasized the need to understand the factors of this equation.
These are aspects that allowed the “caterpillar to become a butterfly” over the course of 300 kilometers and whistle to contest the fifteenth round of the 2024 Formula 1 racing campaign. Undoubtedly, there is plenty of time to verify the data collected and get a clear picture of the situation. In fact, all the necessary briefings are currently underway, although in just over two days, they will be back on track at Monza, in the home Grand Prix for the Prancing Horse. Analyzing the Zandvoort performance in retrospect, we know that the broad reasons could be varied: the weather conditions, more specifically the track surface temperature, the track finally being rubbered in, a better behavior of the SF-24 car under “High Fuel” conditions as opposed to fast runs and the simultaneous performance drop from Mercedes and Red Bull.
Frederic Vasseur spoke of excellent behavior from the Italian car with very worn tires, as already observed in Friday’s long runs. However, it is concerning that some teams, primarily Ferrari and Mercedes, still cannot predict the behavior of their respective cars with great accuracy at this point in the 2024 Formula 1 season. Overall, the Maranello team’s minimum objective was achieved: to limit the damage on a theoretically hostile track for the SF-24, while awaiting the next updates announced by Fred Vasseur and Charles Leclerc.
Ferrari: An unexpected result that brings hope while waiting for updates
The result was welcomed with satisfaction by Ferrari’s team principal. For once, the execution of operations on the track was perfect: an excellent start, good pit stops, optimal tire management, and a well-executed strategy. Although the race lifted the morale of the Maranello team, the French manager remains cautious, as the gap from Lando Norris‘s McLaren leaves little room for dreams of glory. The goal for the red team remains the same: winning. A third place, although unexpected, can be satisfying under conditions of technical inferiority.
Nevertheless, as Fred Vasseur himself reminds us, Ferrari is obligated to focus on winning in Formula 1. This is the only possible target. According to the Frenchman, aside from McLaren’s stellar performance, the direct competitors were all very close. From Friday onward, the drivers reported good feelings with used tires compared to new ones, a dynamic that was evident in the race. For the head of the Ferrari Racing Division, it was a generally positive weekend in Zandvoort on which to build the rest of the Formula 1 season, with 9 races still to go and a package of aerodynamic updates on the way.
Frederic Vasseur hopes that the Dutch Grand Prix was the “sliding door” of the championship and not just a midsummer dream. The intention is to continue fighting for the constructors’ title. This is not an entirely unrealistic goal for the French manager. However, this objective must begin to materialize starting from the next race, where Ferrari will take to the field in the temple of speed at Monza, in just a few days. This is a stage where the red team wants to change pace and return to fighting for something more important than the lowest step of the podium, beating “at least” Red Bull.
As has often happened in the recent past, for the Monza Grand Prix, F1 teams bring specific aerodynamic packages. Technically, we can define them as adaptations to the characteristics of the track. Ferrari could reintroduce the rear wing seen in Belgium, along with a front wing with a reduced chord. It remains to be seen if these versions will be further tweaked. All this while awaiting a substantial package of aerodynamic updates that, although expected to arrive at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore, could be brought forward for the Baku Grand Prix in September.
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