Ferrari arrived at the Monza circuit for the Italian Grand Prix with great enthusiasm. Round number 16 of the Formula 1 season is clearly one in which the Prancing Horse does not want to play a mere supporting role. The goal is to fight for victory, although obviously, it will be anything but easy. McLaren is undoubtedly better prepared, and Red Bull and Mercedes are not to be underestimated. The Maranello team presented itself at the home Grand Prix with a substantial package of updates. They did so by putting in a great effort, especially to advance the floor update. A crucial macro component for generating downforce.
Before analyzing in detail the new features of the Italian car’s floor, however, with the help of our data collection, let’s examine the performance of the SF-24 in the second free practice session for the Italian GP. The Ferrari seen so far in the first two free practice sessions performed quite well. The updates seem to be working, as the protagonists themselves revealed in the post-session interviews. Although Monza is not the ideal track to best validate a floor evolution of an F1 car, the results obtained on track by the historic Italian team satisfy the working group.
The phenomenon of bouncing did not manifest in any part of the circuit, not even in the fastest corners like Ascari or Parabolica. This signals a well-balanced car, stable in direction changes, and strong on the straight, also thanks to the introduction of a very low-drag rear wing specification. However, the red car did not fully exploit all its potential in terms of engine performance, even though a more aggressive mapping was used compared to FP1, allowing for top speeds 4 kilometers per hour higher. The mechanical setup also needs improvement, an aspect that has been “addressed” today in FP3 through overnight simulator studies.
During the first free practice session, the Monegasque driver complained several times over the radio about the poor deceleration his car was offering: Charles, probably one of the strongest late-brakers on the grid, could not express his qualities during braking. Even the pit wall noticed that something was wrong, assuring him that everything would be resolved for the second free practice session. Although the situation undoubtedly improved in this aspect, through the longitudinal force data, we can observe a fact.
By examining the telemetry data, we can easily see how McLaren managed to perform slightly better in braking than the SF-24 number 16. This aspect is probably also due to the new engine braking updates that the historic British team brought to the Dutch Grand Prix last week. As for the acceleration phase, moreover, we see that the two cars under examination behave almost similarly in this crucial aspect.
Charles Leclerc loses ground mainly in the second sector, where Norris gains 0.133s on him. Time was gained at the two Lesmo corners, where Charles’ more aggressive throttle driving does not pay off and causes him to reach full throttle later than the Englishman’s MCL38. At the Ascari chicane, the SF-24 performs better than expected, with the Ferrari driver managing to take the three corners in quick succession almost flat out after the braking point. Despite a slight lack of confidence in entering turn 8, overall, it’s a good Ferrari in a sector that was not expected to be favorable.
During the first day of free practice at the Monza Grand Prix, the two Ferrari cars tested the new floor. A specification updated in various aspects. First of all, a necessary premise: this element was designed by the Italian team’s department based on the specification introduced in Barcelona, which did not work as it should have. We are therefore talking about a true corrective evolution, aiming to address several issues that arose. Only time will tell whether the work done by the technicians will be optimal or not.
By examining the photos obtained by various journalists from the Italian pit lane, we can notice the initial area of the floor. The area of the car where some modifications have appeared. First of all, the overall volume of this area has undergone slight changes. A variation reflecting the revisions, not yet visible, made to the underlying area of the floor. Ferrari’s goal is to contain the losses of the fluid mass flowing through the floor and then heading towards the rear of the Maranello car.
The vertical fence has also undergone a slight reshaping. This suggests that the element in question has been lowered by a few millimeters to improve fluid direction work. Moving towards the rear of the Ferrari SF-24, we can observe that in the very first area of the so-called sharp edge, that small appendage used for generating aerodynamic downforce has been removed.
This means that Maranello’s technicians have chosen to do without a small side extractor. Undoubtedly, its disappearance is related to the “aerodynamic chaos” that this element produced, complicating the subsequent structure of the flows. Furthermore, it is evident that the entire portion of the floor detached from the floor itself has been modified. We are not referring to the upper part but to the side, where Ferrari tried to create a small “curl.” Such an element has the precise task of better sealing the floor from the lateral infiltration of dirty fluids.
Moreover, we can observe a “repositioning” of the supports located in the detached portion of the floor. These elements, in modern Formula 1, must now be considered as small aerodynamic devices. For this reason, their position assumes strategic importance. Finally, there are further modifications in the keel area to improve flow stability. The same goes for the diffuser volume, which, having been increased, acquires greater expansive power and, as a result, contributes to the overall increase in the car’s aerodynamic downforce.
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