After a series of negative races due to a sharp drop in the SF-24’s performance following the introduction of updates at the Spanish Grand Prix that did not yield the expected results, Ferrari seems to have slightly reversed course in the last two race weekends. Though the awareness remains that there’s still much work to be done to climb back up, there have been slight signs of recovery. This turnaround began in Hungary, where after a series of disappointing races following the win in Monaco, the Ferrari technicians introduced a new floor to partially address the bouncing issues that arose with the Barcelona Evo. This initial step appears to have partially restored the car’s stability, boosted the drivers’ confidence, and indicated the direction to follow.
A crisis had halted Ferrari’s growth, which began at the end of 2023 and continued (in words and actions) at the start of the 2024 Formula One championship. It coincided with a “down” period for Charles Leclerc, who after his home win became less effective and overwhelmed by the car’s problems. This phase, like Ferrari’s, seems to have been interrupted in Belgium, where in qualifying (thanks to the rain) Charles finished an extraordinary Q3, and in the race, he kept pace with Lewis Hamilton‘s Mercedes for over thirty laps: a rhythm almost worthy of a stage win and definitely podium territory, a result of both talent and a Ferrari that, as mentioned, appears to have overcome the lowest point of the season. The team can now look with moderate optimism to the second half of the championship after navigating the highs and lows of the first half.
In the second half of the season, at the very least, the team will want to return as Red Bull’s primary challenger, and to do so, they have decided to make changes to the SF-24 (and its flow management in the floor and diffuser area) after understanding the reasons for the early summer debacle. This understanding, as reported by Italian journalist Franco Nugnes on “Motorsport.com”, should lead the team, directed by Frédéric Vasseur, to change pace starting from the Dutch GP to begin their climb, as they did in 2023.
“It was a working Sunday after two weeks of summer holidays. Ferrari starts the second part of the season hoping to turn things around. […] The aerodynamicists led by Diego Tondi seem to have identified the area of the car that generated rear-end instability, making the SF-24 suddenly ‘nervous’ and, therefore, difficult to control at the limit. Despite the shutdown imposed by the FIA, Maranello seems to have managed to make those modifications to the floor that should give the drivers the confidence to aim for results more in line with expectations.”
Ferrari, after a highly conceptual effort (given the factory closure imposed by the FIA and the inability to work on the car), appears confident of showing signs of recovery in the Netherlands. However, they remain cautious about the actual potential of the SF-24, despite simulator indications, to avoid being disappointed again and possibly having to take steps backward.
“The feeling is that Maranello is confident they have overcome the period of severe difficulty. […] The Ferrari heading to the Netherlands remains very reserved in making predictions, but the fact that they are directing flows differently towards the diffuser should ensure the necessary aerodynamic load to tackle a challenging circuit. […] The simulator data is said to be encouraging.”
