Ferrari boss explains why it is increasingly difficult for teams to bring performance updates. Fred Vasseur on why it is difficult for teams to squeeze out more performance from F1 projects.

Updates a real problem for the teams
Helmut Marko, the Austrian former professional racing driver and a current director of Red Bull, recently admitted that within the Austrian side they are questioning whether they have indeed taken the correct development path for an RB20 that is no longer the benchmark on the grid after being so at the start of the 2024 Formula 1 championship.

Andrea Stella, McLaren’s team principal, had stated that at the beginning of the season Red Bull would still have a bit of an advantage, but from Miami onwards the MCL38 had little to envy in the car of the reigning world champions.

The Ferrari SF-24 also defended itself well from the start with the base version, then at the Imola circuit and at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, aerodynamic update packages arrived that triggered the bouncing phenomenon due to the excessive aerodynamic load that is no longer adequately managed by the car’s mechanics, a phenomenon that does not occur in the wind tunnel and emerges in all its mystery only on the track. Even Mercedes in Belgium after Friday’s free practice sessions has rejected for now the new floor because it triggered the bouncing phenomenon.

In the post-race press conference, Ferrari’s team principal Frederic Vasseur explained that by now for all teams it is extremely difficult to squeeze out more performance from projects that have been capped by regulations that have remained stable for three years: “We are pushing like mad to bring new updates and we will do so as soon as possible. The problem is that bouncing is uncontrollable. It is almost impossible to simulate, also because it can appear or disappear from one session to another depending on the wind direction or other factors. We are all on the edge on this front. You can’t replicate it in the wind tunnel. We have metrics to imagine if the phenomenon will improve or not, but in the end, we are driven by the performance gains we could get with a bit more aerodynamic load.” – the French manager pointed out.

“Improving these tools is a good exercise. It has not been easy for Mercedes as it has not been for us and other teams since the start of the season. We are also at the limit with development. We have had the same regulations for three years and have reached the performance asymptote. It is increasingly difficult to find the last tenth of a second and it is the same for everyone. We have to adjust to the fact that bouncing is the key because it is not simply about performance, but about driver confidence. If you gain 1-2 tenths of a second and lose 3 because the drivers lose confidence, in the end, the balance is negative.” – Frederic Vasseur explained.