Ferrari looking to improve race pace at Paul Ricard circuit | 2021 French GP. Ferrari looking to improve race pace at Paul Ricard circuit.

Ferrari has suffered at the Paul Ricard circuit in previous years, but the SF21 car has shown that it has improved in the chassis area. The issue remains the efficiency in race pace, esepcially with a full tank of fuel.

Recent history evokes few positive memories for Scuderia Ferrari at the Paul Ricard track, where the Maranello team scored its last victory in 1990 with Alain Prost. In the two-year period (2018-2019) in which Paul Ricard has returned to hosting Formula 1 events, the results did not live up to expectations, due to the weaknesses, especially with the SF90, in the medium-low speed corners. The transalpine track is also full of corners where engine power is important, characteristics that have been a strong point of the Mercedes for many tears.

The new SF21 has proved that it has improved in the last few races, especially in the qualifying set-up and in the slow sectors. An example is the third sector in Barcelona and Charles Leclerc’s pole in Monaco, the track where the Maranello team had the best car on the grid. The Monegasque driver’s pole position in Baku confirmed that this car is probably at the level of Red Bull with Honda and Mercedes with empty tanks, but on Sunday the race pace of Ferrari continued to suffer.

In particular, the Italian side’s difficulties are clear on softer tires with a full tank of fuel, as confirmed by the first 15-20 laps of the race when the tires are significantly deteriorated. As the tank runs out, the SF21 regains competitiveness, even if the power unit gap as compared to Mercedes and Honda remains a significant handicap. The feeling is that it is difficult to recharge during the race, while in the single lap the ERS and all the electrical parts of the power unit are at their maximum ensuring high performance. This advantage is lost in the race, and adds to the balancing difficulties, sending the drivers into crisis. The step forward compared to the past is however evident, and in France it will be interesting to observe the progress especially in the mixed sections. The long straight of the Mistral includes a chicane in the middle, unlike other categories where cars go full throttle up to the Signes corner, certainly an important detail for Ferrari, as the SF21 may have the opportunity to lose less ground in the long straight.