Ferrari arrives in Hungary eager to bounce back from a difficult weekend at the Silverstone circuit. The Prancing Horse sacrificed preparation for the British Grand Prix in order to conduct experiments on the Barcelona aerodynamic update package, which exacerbated the bouncing in fast corners that has plagued the SF-24 since the start of the 2024 Formula 1 season. “I was complaining about the bouncing even before the updates,” says Carlos Sainz. Listening to the drivers, the team seems to have understood the origin of the phenomenon and strategies to contain it. Simulations predict improvements, the same ones that had warned about the risks associated with the updates.
Initially, there was speculation that Ferrari might alternate between the Spain package and the previous one from Imola based on track characteristics. For example, Budapest, with its smooth track surface and limited high-speed corners, presents conditions less conducive to bouncing, encouraging the use of the Barcelona floor. Conversely, the super-fast Spa-Francorchamps might have prompted Ferrari to revert to the previous version.
However, the drivers categorically deny this possibility. “Our goal is not to have different floors on different tracks,” comments Charles Leclerc to the press, ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. Carlos Sainz echoes: “I don’t think this is how a team should operate. The base platform must be the same for all weekends. There shouldn’t be different floors based on the track’s characteristics.”
Charles Leclerc did not reveal which aerodynamic package Ferrari will use in Hungary: “We’ve done our homework. In the last races, we tried extreme setups with me, which helped us understand better. During the break weeks, we drew our conclusions, and you’ll see them this weekend.” However, the Monegasque driver emphasized that Budapest is less of a test for bouncing, stating that “Spa will be more of a test for us.” His comments suggest a return to the updated floor after its temporary shelving at the Silverstone circuit, hoping to see if the studied corrections will help contain the bouncing. The modifications involve suspension setup but not exclusively. “We already have a small update that should improve things,” reveals Sainz.
The two Ferrari drivers share optimism that the data collected over the last month has led to a full understanding of the aerodynamic phenomena behind the bouncing. “I’m confident that what we’ve learned in the last races will help us perform better in the future,” says Charles Leclerc. This confidence has been expressed in the past, but now finds confirmation in the same simulations that predicted the risks associated with the latest updates, which then materialized. “I’m optimistic because the team had warned us that the new parts could cause more bouncing, and so it was,” reveals Carlos Sainz. “We acknowledged that it was a possibility, and now the simulations tell us it should decrease.”
The lessons learned will guide the development of a new aerodynamic update package, likely expected between late August and mid-September. Sainz continues: “I see Silverstone as an investment. We didn’t optimize the weekend, spending the first two free practices comparing floors and foregoing having a reference in my teammate to optimize the car’s potential. This is to be faster in five or six races when we translate what we’ve learned at Silverstone into the wind tunnel.”
Overcoming the need to conduct experiments during free practice should help Ferrari improve immediate performance, allowing them to focus on finding the optimal setup for the weekend. Charles Leclerc concludes: “The most important thing is to have a clean weekend. Not to be too extreme in the setup so that I can understand how the car will behave in qualifying when I tackle a corner.” As always, the Ferrari duo’s words are filled with optimism as they await the stopwatch’s verdict.
Leave a Reply