This week the F1 circus will arrive in Canada, at the circuit named after Gilles Villeneuve. Ferrari wants to keep scoring points and shake off the nightmare of 2024.
After the fortunate podium obtained in Barcelona, Ferrari wants to keep scoring points to try to climb back up the standings. The Canadian GP will be an important test for Ferrari while waiting for the first developments expected to arrive in Austria.
Last year Ferrari experienced a true nightmare throughout the weekend here. After the first two free practice sessions that seemed promising, the Red team went into a complete crisis on Saturday with a double elimination in Q2 and a shocking double retirement that hadn’t happened for years. That GP marked the beginning of the summer crisis for Ferrari, which peaked with the floor brought to Barcelona and ended only in Monza thanks to the upgrade package and Charles’ astonishing victory.
This year, even with a less competitive car that is really driving technicians and drivers crazy, Ferrari wants to try to shake off some frustrations and keep scoring points as in the last two Grands Prix, erasing the nightmare of 2024.
Ferrari: There is a chance to do well at the Canadian GP
Ferrari’s problems are now well known: the car designed in Maranello cannot use the ideal ride heights and consequently works with a very narrow aerodynamic map that forces technicians to find difficult compromises. However, in Canada the situation could be different: the Montreal track requires a lower mechanical compromise compared to Barcelona, giving technicians a wider range of setup options compared to recent GPs. As a result, the car can more easily enter the operating window and unlock performance that will be very useful.
Furthermore, the circuit is mostly composed of medium and medium-low speed corners, and with high curbs and many bumps present, teams will tend to use softer setups and higher ride heights to promote mechanical grip generation, especially at the rear during corner exit, reducing Ferrari’s disadvantage regarding ride heights.
All these factors could help Ferrari’s cause since there is a chance to do well and because in this very critical moment of the season, after terribly disappointing early-year expectations, a strong boost is needed to keep the team united and push everyone at GES and beyond to give their best.
The first summer updates will arrive in Austria for Ferrari
Meanwhile, with the Canadian GP yet to start for Ferrari, all eyes are already on the next Grand Prix in Austria. During that weekend Ferrari will debut a new floor after the one brought to Bahrain. The changes should affect the diffuser area, particularly the kick and the Venturi channels, aiming to increase downforce and widen the setup window.
However, the updates will not have an immediate effect because to see a real change the debut of the new rear suspension is needed, planned for Silverstone. Only then will the floor be able to perform at its best and provide a clear performance boost to the car.
Fred Vasseur himself recently stated that it will take some time to win again, estimated at about 2-3 months, during which the team will continue pushing hard to try to close the gap with McLaren and return where Ferrari deserves: on the top step of the podium.
Leave a Reply