The moment of truth has arrived for Scuderia Ferrari in a 2024 Formula 1 season filled with regret for what could have been but wasn’t. A misleading update: we are talking about the floor introduced by the Maranello team’s engineers and technicians in the Spanish Grand Prix that split Ferrari’s season in two very different parts. The Prancing Horse fell into a hole it couldn’t climb out of. Then, after getting back on track following the summer break, something changed. The latest aerodynamic updates made the SF-24 a car much more aware of itself. It could have claimed three victories if the whole team had worked well.
But it didn’t go that way. Oh well, patience. There are still several scenarios where they can perform well. The drivers’ title is gone, and so is the constructors’ title, more or less. This McLaren car is too strong and seems determined to make no more mistakes or at least far fewer than it has done in recent months. Ferrari will find itself in the middle of this battle among those still fighting for the 2024 Formula 1 championship. At this point in the season, objectives matter little. The important thing is to always give your best and especially to lay the groundwork for the 2025 car, which in the end will be nothing more than an updated and revised version of the current one.
The Maranello team is highly motivated, and despite Carlos Sainz having had an expiration date on his back for a while now, he has promised maximum effort, as the professional he is, in order to bring Ferrari as high as possible. The United States Grand Prix in Austin is just around the corner and it will be a unique weekend for various reasons. First of all, the recent aerodynamic updates will face their test on a more challenging track like the 5.513-kilometre Circuit of The Americas in Texas. Secondly, the weekend will feature the fourth Sprint Race of the season, which will be another opportunity to test themselves, although there are only 60 minutes to focus on the general setup.
Ferrari is therefore preparing for the 19th round of the 2024 F1 season. The Texas track is very technical and complex, featuring various sections that require a diverse setup approach. It’s a circuit full of compromises, both from an aerodynamic and mechanical perspective. The Circuit of the Americas is known for its characteristics that demand optimal vehicle balance. This is crucial for managing all sections of the track well. Let’s focus a bit on the layout, considering the Maranello team’s approach.
Sector 1 is dominated by fast, dynamic corners, with a quick sequence of direction changes that requires an extremely responsive and agile car. In this part of the track, you can’t do without proper stiffness on both axles, as the car needs to generate a lot of stability through the floor and ensure lightning-fast changes of the racing line. A stiffer setup improves driving precision and the stability of the aerodynamic platform. However, such a setup also requires various compromises in other sections of the track.
Sector 3 features medium-to-low-speed corners, where mechanical traction becomes the key element. To ensure good acceleration out of corners, especially when traction is combined with steering angle, it’s important not to have too stiff of a rear end. This involves softening the rear suspension setup to improve the car’s ability to put down the power generated by the Ferrari 066/12 power unit. This move requires careful tuning of the suspension, without which some issues could arise.
It is essential to perfectly manage the lateral load transfer and, as a result, ensure stable behavior of the car during acceleration phases. Last year, the SF-23 single-seater showed good performance in this regard. This allowed the Maranello team to find an efficient compromise between the rigidity needed in the first sector and the softness useful in the third. Unfortunately, looking at the characteristics of the current Ferrari, as we know, the car has lost that specific strength it could demonstrate without problems last season.
This year, despite the fact that its level isn’t too bad, we can say that traction certainly cannot be considered one of the car’s strengths, with other teams, primarily McLaren, proving much more effective at transferring power to the ground. The same goes for Red Bull. This ability largely stems from the mechanics and balance when exiting corners. This aspect will make it more difficult for Ferrari to find an optimal setup that adequately balances the contrasting needs of the different sectors.
The lack of such a solid point of reference in terms of traction makes the search for the right compromise even more critical and could significantly impact the overall performance of the SF-24 if not addressed properly. The issue of aerodynamic efficiency is another crucial aspect on this track, particularly on the long straight in the middle sector, where drag must be minimized to ensure high top speed. This is a key element for defending against attacks in the race and improving lap times.
Ferrari, which has recently shown some sensitivity to top speed, has decided to build the setup starting from this parameter. This approach seeks a compromise between top speed and downforce, necessary to tackle the more technical sectors of the Austin circuit. The team will develop the aerodynamic setup by optimizing for top speed first, then deciding how much downforce to add and how to manage the more technical corners in the first and third sectors. This approach will allow Ferrari to be very competitive on the long high-speed straight.
Another crucial aspect on which Ferrari has focused significant energy is the adjustment of ride height, both front and rear. Austin has several bumps and irregularities along the ideal line, forcing teams to pay close attention to this parameter. Last year, the SF-23 car faced some difficulties with ride height, partly due to the reduced free practice time, as the Sprint Race format provides the teams with only one 60 minute free practice session to prepare for the rest of the weekend. This scenario led to the car entering the race with a ride height that was too low, causing excessive wear on the skid and resulting in disqualification for Charles Leclerc.
This is why the Maranello team will need to avoid making the same mistake, balancing the need to reduce ride height to maximize aerodynamic performance without compromising the integrity of the skid and the ability to handle the bumps. Ultimately, ride height will be one of the most critical parameters in determining performance, as a setup that minimizes it without causing handling issues can guarantee a significant time gain. Ferrari’s ability to find the right balance in these areas will be crucial for overall success in Texas.
Tires will also play a key role, as always. There will be intense work on optimizing the car in order to adapt to the specific demands of the Austin circuit. The track presents several challenges related to tire management, with the first and third sectors featuring numerous corners that will subject the Pirelli compounds to high lateral loads and resulting overheating. In these sections, temperatures tend to rise, and it’s not always easy to keep the heat in the tire’s carcass under control.
Ferrari has reduced the compound activation threshold, so on this track, it should find it easier to hit the correct operating window. More details on this will emerge only when the car takes to the track. The setup will significantly contribute to validating this parameter. The problem of overheating is always lurking, especially on a track that requires continuous high-speed direction changes and features a mix of corner types. Ferrari’s work on this important factor will make the difference.
If tire temperatures exceed the ideal limit, there’s a risk of losing grip. The grip drops dramatically, compromising performance in corners. Additionally, this phenomenon greatly accelerates tire wear. To prevent this, Ferrari will need to carefully assess the balance between aerodynamic downforce and mechanical grip management, especially considering that traction in the slow corners of the third sector will undoubtedly require special attention.
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