Melbourne hosts the third Formula 1 championship event and Ferrari wants to be more aggressive with the SF-24. An approach specifically requested by team principal Fred Vasseur ahead of the Australian Grand Prix weekend on the sidelines of the positive feedback gathered at the Jeddah circuit in Saudi Arabia. Although tire degradation in Jeddah was very low, considering the low abrasiveness of the reference surface in Saudi Arabia, the data collected confirmed a step forward in addressing a long-standing issue that has unfortunately affected the Italian cars for years: excessive tire wear. There was indeed a margin for a superior pace during the extended stint on Hard tires.
However, aware that Red Bull was still faster, it was preferred to manage the pace and save the mechanical parts which, as we know, must be managed to the utmost to avoid penalties in the second part of the championship. In this respect, Albert Park will be a more accurate test bench. The surface of the historic circuit in the land of kangaroos puts a lot more stress on tyres and for this reason, the Prancing Horse is looking for further very important confirmations in view of the development direction the team intends to take in the first part of the 2024 Formula 1 season.
Before examining a small aerodynamic novelty, let’s remember that, following a visit to the circuit’s medical center on Thursday, the International Federation has given the green light for the Maranello team to field their principal pair of drivers. Alongside Charles Leclerc, therefore, the Spaniard Carlos Sainz returned for Friday practice. Although one could notice his limp while walking around the paddock, the former McLaren driver still got behind the wheel of the red car during the first free practice session and thankfully he was able to perform without major issues. Without further introduction, let’s get to the point.
Ferrari SF-24: Fine Work to “Clean” the Fluid Streams
Ferrari arrives in Melbourne with one certainty: to continue exerting the maximum effort to optimize the result. Thanks to the images reported by various journalists that are present in the Albert Park pitlane, we can notice a small novelty at the rear of the SF-24. Calling it an update might be an exaggeration. Therefore, we prefer to call it an actual aerodynamic helper, remembering that in Formula 1, even the smallest details can make a certain difference. Thanks to the images from the Melbourne paddock, we can examine the element.
Source: FUnoanalisitecnica
The aerodynamic appendage is located near the exit section of the sidepods. This is an area of the car where solutions are adopted to try to better evacuate hot air. In these cases, it’s always complicated to assert with certainty the purpose of such a profile, especially if, as in our case, we don’t have access to the computational fluid dynamics data of the historic Italian team, which would eliminate any doubt. However, we can suppose that the element in question is used “simply” to redirect the flow in this specific area of the car.
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If so, indeed, the goal would be to alter the trajectory with which the fluid “hits” the beam wing, a small component of wing cars but very important in terms of vertical thrust, with which Ferrari decided to integrate the missing downforce, considering the choice of a medium-load rear wing for the Albert Park circuit this weekend. In the case of the SF-24, therefore, the intention would be to clean the fluid streams that, most likely, were following a trajectory not as efficient as desired.
Furthermore, within this mini-analysis, an undoubtedly interesting factor must be kept in mind. In this portion of the car, the air mass is disturbed by the arms of the rear suspension system, pull-rod in the case of the Ferrari SF-24 car, which in fact alter its field. From this small profile, although not very intense, a vortex should still detach that would contribute to guiding the stream in a strategic area and, by reflection, improve its structure. It remains to be seen if such a measure can somehow increase the load at the rear end.
For now the Maranello team has focused on Friday practice. The second free practice session in Australia ended with two Ferrari SF-24 cars in the top three positions, only separated by Max Verstappen, who placed his RB20 between the Maranello drivers but with a significant gap. Both the Dutch World Champion and his teammate, Sergio Perez, seemed to struggle with the handling of the Milton Keynes car, particularly lamenting a lot of understeer. Christian Horner’s team ends Friday with a lot of work to do, but definitely with a lot of potential to unlock. Aston Martin is again at the top of the timesheet in the Qualifying simulation, while struggling with race pace, unlike McLaren, which comes out better in the long run with more fuel load. Mercedes continues to work on setup and seeks ways to extract the potential of the W15.
During the break between FP1 and FP2, speaking with various media, Frederic Vasseur provided an update on Carlos Sainz’s condition, confirming that Ferrari expects the Spaniard to only improve over time, thus spending the weekend without issues, returning full-time behind the wheel of his Ferrari SF-24.
The rest of the grid, including his Ferrari teammate, completed the race simulation program with the Medium compound, where a competitive Ferrari was recorded again on this first day of work in Australia, but also a good McLaren race pace, able to get closer to the SF-24 in the long run simulation where Charles Leclerc, however, showed remarkable pace. Aston Martin and Mercedes, especially with Lewis Hamilton, who took a wrong setup direction between FP1 and FP2, are again experiencing problems with the balance of the cars. Towards the end, many drivers, including Lance Stroll, Sergio Perez, and Oscar Piastri, made a pit stop to switch to Soft tires and do a flying lap in the race pace simulation.
Source: FUnoanalisitecnica
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