Ferrari looks to the Mexican GP with optimism: the Maranello team has carried out specific preparation for the SF21 to avoid the problems that are linked to the very thin air at high altitude.
The circuit dedicated to the Rodriguez brothers is located at over 2,200 meters high so all the teams have been forced to upgrade the cooling systems of the engine and brakes, while at the aerodynamic level it is necessary to use the maximum load (with solutions worthy of the Monaco GP, yet not reaching the downforce that would occur at sea level), although the maximum speeds that can be reached on the long straight can exceed 360 km / h.
We have already wrote about the interventions to the engine with a greater exploitation of the turbo and the hybrid, while the internal combustion engine is not subjected to great stress (the accelerator remains open at full throttle only 62% of the time of a lap), for which we focus on the braking system: since a greater air flow is required to cool the carbon disc and calipers, the intakes that will be mounted are the largest among those available in the SF21 range.
The Mexican circuit is severe with the braking system because there are three significant braking sections (turns 1, 4 and 12): the hardest is that of the first corner with a deceleration peak of 5.6g. It is interesting to point out that the estimated braking time of around 13 seconds is among the highest in the entire championship.
Drivers will have to take measures to the fact that, due to the lower air density, braking distances will also be reasonably longer and in free practice Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will have to find the right match between the Maranello simulator and the track .
But when it comes to flows in the front corner, we must not limit ourselves only to brake cooling, because the circulation of air in the carbon brake disc also performs two other strategic functions in the performance of the SF21 car.
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Over the course of the season we have often seen Ferraris run with the brake discs almost completely closed, because the need was to remove as much hot air produced by the braking system from the rim, in order to avoid heating the rim and, therefore, the Pirelli tire.
In recent GPs, however, the Scuderia has used two half-open brake discs that help to send the tires into the right temperature window, as well as to direct the flows with the aerodynamic functions in a different way.
The Maranello team, like all those in the world championship, are forced to adapt these parts according to the characteristics of the track they will face: since the air flow is the maximum allowed by the intake, the technicians must divide the flow intended for cooling from that which, on the other hand, serves to divert the air that comes from the front wing and that is pushed outside the front wheel.
The jet of air that comes out between the spokes of the rims serves precisely to correct the front flows, preventing them from being soiled by the turbulence generated by the front wheel.
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