Formula 1 is gearing up again, and in just a few days, the cars will return to the track at the 5.513-kilometre Circuit of The Americas in Austin. The United States Grand Prix event will be particularly important as some teams are expected to introduce significant aerodynamic upgrade packages, but the return of the Sprint Race will make the situation even more unpredictable. The Maranello team clearly wants to maintain the positive momentum it experienced before the break, aiming for a better points haul with increasingly precise execution, as Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur often emphasizes.
The 2024 Formula 1 championship is officially entering its final phase. Only six races remain in the current season, all taking place over eight weeks. It will be an intense period with many points at stake and a standings situation that could still change drastically, given the close gaps in terms of performance between the teams. The Austin weekend therefore marks the start of an intense final part of the season and the Italian side wants to test the effectiveness of the parts the Maranello technicians and engineers have brought to the previous races in high-speed corners, as confirmed by Frederic Vasseur, speaking about Ferrari’s focus for the next Grand Prix. The American SF-24 will feature the latest package brought to the Monza circuit, including the new floor, as well as the new front wing that was introduced and anticipated in the Singapore Grand Prix.
The Ferrari Team Principal mentioned that Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were well-prepared and that the team was motivated. The French manager emphasized that their focus would be on themselves, and they would do everything possible to maximize the performance of the package they had. He also noted that the season wasn’t over and there were still opportunities for good results, pointing out that the competition was very close and the standings were still wide open.
Looking ahead to Austin and the return of the Sprint Race, Carlos Galbally, Ferrari’s Head of Vehicle Dynamics, also shared his view and analysis. The former Sauber and Mercedes engineer, now working for the Maranello team, explained that Circuit of The Americas is one of the tracks that places significant stress on the tires, with the curves evenly divided between left and right, and both the front and rear of the car under pressure. He pointed out that the American circuit has a good mix of low- and high-speed corners, where Ferrari would focus on testing the behavior and progress of the SF-24. He added that a well-balanced car would be essential, particularly for the transition from low- to high-speed corners.
Once again, tire management will be crucial. At Circuit of The Americas, Pirelli has selected the second softest tire in the range for the Soft compound, and both qualifying and the race will demand different tire management, as explained by Carlos Galbally, who pointed out that in qualifying, it will be necessary to bring the tires up to temperature to be fast in the first sector, while still maintaining performance at the end of the lap. In the race, however, the teams will need to sacrifice some performance in the ‘esses’ of the first sector in order to avoid making an extra stop. At the same time, the single practice session forces teams to make decisions on their setup approach. Ferrari will focus on the Sprint Qualifying scheduled a few hours later so it will be important to have properly correlated simulation tools to avoid making too many changes to the setup.
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