Ferrari is building on yesterday’s good testing session at the Sakhir circuit. The SF-24 has undoubtedly taken a step forward from last year, although, at this stage, understanding the extent of the evolutionary leap remains challenging. We saw a well-balanced red car after various adjustments, though some corrections are still present. This indicates that the full potential of the car has yet to be unlocked.
On Wednesday, several changes were made to the push-rod length at the front and related adjustments to the stiffness of the anti-roll bars. The clear goal was to alleviate a tendency towards an outer trajectory from the center of the curve onwards. Good traction, smooth insertion, although at times, the Italian car seemed a bit unsettled. The positive reaction to the changes indicates a broader setup window compared to the 2023 Formula 1 season.
As we know, details make a significant difference at this stage of the season, crucial for understanding the tuning direction and providing the driver with the most effective handling, generating confidence, and allowing the red team’s aces to make the most of their car. Today, on February 22, more is expected, there’s no denying it.
Ferrari SF-24: Waiting to Push on the PU, the Long Runs Bring Hope
The optimal working point of an F1 car represents the vital technical condition regarding performance. The historic Scuderia Ferrari team is still working on it, aware that during today’s morning run, another building block was put in place. Observing Charles Leclerc’s fastest lap, the entry into turn 10 looked very good, although there was room for improvement on turn 11.
Regarding turn 13, a right-hand bend leading to the last high-speed section before the main straight, we noticed some rear instability, subsequently corrected by balancing the rear. Good performance at 14-15, although in the third sector, car number 16 recorded a lower split time than the previous attempt, probably to mask the performance as no errors or issues were recorded in this portion of the track.
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On the power unit topic, it is evident that the horsepower of the SF-24 has not yet been fully utilized. Mapping on the medium-low internal combustion unit for the 066/10, combined with energy recovery managed by the state of charge system also set at medium levels. This is evidenced by the clipping recorded at various points on the track during push laps. It is worth noting that in Bahrain, the value of energy recovered by the Motor Generator Unit is crucial in the total lap calculation.
Let’s talk about high-fuel testing. The Prancing Horse tested the car with a high amount of fuel on board. In this case, Charles’ Ferrari shows a very good approach to the track. A slight lack of rotation does not compromise the performance, which, despite the not-too-long stint, shows a highly encouraging potential. There’s a bit of oversteer, but as we know, this suits the former Alfa Romeo driver, capable of managing it well in various conditions.
From what we gathered by observing Charles Leclerc’s dashboard, under the precise command of the pit wall, he “played” with the times to hide the performance of the SF-24 in this mini-run. Competitiveness glimpsed with the yellow tires, compared to Piastri’s MCL38, for example, showed significantly better values. The only downside concerns the damage to the floor, as a small drain cover lifted by Lewis Hamilton damaged the red car.
Source: Alessandro Arcari for FUnoanalisitecnica
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