Callum Frith, a 32-year-old British engineer from Shropshire, is in charge of tires at the Scuderia. The young technician explains how the SF-24 is more gentle on the tires and why it could perform well at Suzuka, a demanding track for the red car. Now there’s a plan in place for tire preservation.
Who said that English engineers don’t want to come to work in Italy? To dispel any doubts, one should ask Callum Frith, a 32-year-old Briton from Shropshire, who had his big break in Maranello to enter the world of racing thanks to the Ferrari F1 Engineering Academy program dedicated to recent graduates. Today, the Englishman is the Tyre Performance Engineer for the Scuderia, and at Suzuka, tire management becomes crucial in the pursuit of performance.
After the splendid one-two finish at Albert Park, the Prancing Horse faces a track that is certainly not ideal for the SF-24, although simulations have shown that the red car could defend itself more than honorably even in Japan.
Suzuka is a severe circuit for tires. What will be your challenges this weekend?
“At Suzuka, we have many fast corners, so the energy levels in the tires are among the highest of the entire season. For this reason, Pirelli brings the three hardest compounds (C1, C2, C3), which are only used on the most demanding tire tracks. Moreover, the unusual figure-eight shape of the track results in a high degree of stress on all four tires, with the car setup and the weather – always unpredictable here – playing an important role.”
“If we also add a very abrasive asphalt, it’s easy to see that we can expect a race with high tire degradation and multiple pit stop strategies. In short, this weekend will be a challenging test for the tires from all points of view!”
After the first three races, the SF-24 seems to manage the tires better than the SF-23. What is the reason for this improvement?
“One of our main objectives was to improve race performance, and we tried to address tire management from multiple angles. In the car development phase, we mainly worked to provide the drivers with a consistent platform. This year, the car is more predictable, making it easier for Charles and Carlos not to excessively stress the tires when conditions change during the race, such as when they encounter traffic, or when the wind changes, or simply when tire degradation occurs and grip decreases.”
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“As for on-track management, together with the drivers, we’ve developed a plan that identifies the moments when it’s necessary to pay more attention to the tires to achieve the best possible time, taking into account the strategy and the specific characteristics of each circuit. It’s a tool that we use in real-time during the race to provide feedback to the drivers via radio.”
Let’s talk about you: how did you come to Ferrari? Where does your passion for motorsport come from?
“I’ve been passionate about motorsport since I was a child, watching Formula 1 on television and never missing a race at Donington Park circuit, near my home. In high school, I had the wonderful opportunity to gain some work experience with the Williams team, and thanks to this, I began to believe that a career in motorsport was possible. As soon as I finished university, during a Formula Student event, I discovered the Ferrari F1 Engineering Academy program for recent graduates. I went through the selection process and ended up in Maranello. I gained experience within the tire team, initially following the races from the remote garage and then on the track during testing, before moving to the race team, where I am still engaged today.”
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