Ferrari on the attack in Canada: three key factors identified to aim for race win in Montreal

The party is over for now. Scuderia Ferrari celebrated a lot because it was the right thing to do. Winning in Formula 1, especially at home, always has that special flavor. A taste never experienced until last weekend by Charles Leclerc, who deservedly arrived there. After the 2024 Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, the celebrations with a dip in the harbor and the usual interviews, Charles Leclerc got on his bike, went home, relaxed a bit with his mom, and then had a big party with the team. On this occasion, instead of returning to Maranello, they chose to stay in the Principality to unleash their great joy. A triumph on the streets of Monte Carlo that absolutely needed to be celebrated.

Monday morning, it wasn’t easy to return to the factory fresh as a daisy. Ferrari did it anyway, extending the celebration and thanks to the hundreds of people who every day, 365 times a year, get up and go to the factory to keep the dream alive. The aspiration is to return to the top of the most important motorsport series, because the Prancing Horse is fed up with just being a bystander in Formula 1. The Ferrari team should be applauded for their efforts, but meanwhile let’s not forger that we are continually hearing the Dutch and Austrian anthems. The Italian anthem has played twice in 2024. Good, but still not enough.

In this last week, riding the wave of enthusiasm, they the Ferrari engineers and technicians have worked very well. The Canadian Gran Prix is coming and the 4.361-kilometre Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal is a unique track where the Maranello team wants to give everything in order to replicate the outstanding performance from Monaco. The North American circuit is one of those stages that evoke splendid memories for Ferrari and the duty to arrive as prepared as possible looms. Team principal Frederic Vasseur recently spoke about the key strategic choice made this year, namely to focus on optimizing the race pace, because the points needed to climb the standings are earned on Sunday. In 2023, many pole positions were secured on Saturday, only to be then followed by poor performances during the race, where opponents easily overtook the SF-23 car, which struggled a lot with tire management.

On this basis, the 676 project was designed over the winter. First of all, there was the desire to change the approach to tires. Learning to use them without having to worry about the compounds over 300 kilometers to complete a Grand Prix. For this reason, technically, the SF-24 was designed to manage the compounds well. An inherent quality provided by the vehicle dynamics department, which is working well. At the same time, the desire to maximize race performance meant slightly sacrificing qualifying performance, but Ferrari has now realized they are very close to Red Bull.

We are talking about a general gap of about a tenth and a half. Fred Vasseur even mentioned it. And in these cases, even the qualifying session becomes crucial because every small detail makes a huge difference if your goal is to fight for the race victory. Therefore, Ferrari has decided to change their approach to the race weekend. They will start with driver-in-the-loop software tests, as the updated version of the SF-24 single-seater shows a broader setup window, which theoretically can guarantee a similarly competitive setup during the race while optimizing performance for Saturday in terms of a flying lap.

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F1, Ferrari is studying an optimal compromise setup for the SF-24 EVO

The characteristics of the all-red F1 car are now well known, ahead of the the ninth round of the 2024 Formula 1 world championship. The front end is very solid, the best on the grid, which means that the Italian car builds its lap on this front end. The SF-24 enters corners aggressively, gains a lot on its rivals, and often shows better apex speed. The main weakness comes at this point and continues in the exit cornering phase, where traction is good but not exceptional like Red Bull’s. To address this problem, the hybrid system is helping. Using a significant portion of the 160 horsepower recovered from the motor generators during acceleration helps.

This made traction phases excellent on the streets of Monaco, a track where the lack of long straights allowed for this setup. Conversely, where the high-speed sections are long, there would be a lack of energy to reach and maintain a high top speed. Therefore, the issue remains and needs to be resolved by maximizing power delivery. Aerodynamic efficiency helps in this case, another distinctive trait where the red car does not reach the excellent value of Red Bull. With the updated version of the SF-24 car, drag seems to have decreased.

However, we await a more rigorous check to understand the red car’s ability to cut through the air. Regarding cornering, we can also define Ferrari as definitely competitive. In medium-speed corners and support, the SF-24 exhibits optimal performance because the downforce generated by ground effect works great. Meanwhile, in the more technical parts of the track, a slight lack of grip is noticeable, as the Italian car does not excel in weight transfers to the outside. Low and high-speed cornering phases still need optimization.

Returning to Canada, let’s examine some interesting points of the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal. In the first sector, there is a chicane where you brake with the steering angle. A very technical section where the SF-24 should do well in terms of handling. The same goes for the other changes of direction in turns 3 and 4. In the second sector, there are two more chicanes, 6 and 7, 8 and 9, separated by short straight sections, where Ferrari’s performance should essentially mirror that of the first sector. In fact, it is the last part of the circuit where some difficulties are expected.

The heavy braking at turn 10 leads to the slow hairpin, where traction is crucial, and it is highly necessary to get on the gas as soon as possible to unleash all the power of the engine without any flaws. This part of the circuit, where a low amount of drag will help a lot regarding top speed. The key factor Ferrari has identified, considering the North American layout, is the ability to maximize traction and top speed at the end of the final sector, sacrificing performance in some areas of the rest of the track. The last fast chicane should not be a problem.

We are talking about a section similar to the swimming pool in Monaco and the Gresini section at the Imola circuit, where the red car showed optimal performance. It did this by aggressively attacking the first curb on entry, then carrying a lot of speed through the middle of the corner. Therefore, in conclusion of this brief analysis: traction, efficiency, and the ability to use the energy recovery of the Ferrari power unit, these are the essential elements the Maranello technicians have been working on in recent days at the factory located in Maranello. Ferrari’s goal is clear: to find a compromise setup that can optimize all these technical aspects.

Without forgetting the extra focus the Italian team will have on qualifying. In Canada, overtaking is not a problem at all, but when the gaps are close, within a tenth or so, it can become a significant issue. Especially if direct rivals like McLaren and Red Bull have superior aerodynamic efficiency. Frederic Vasseur has shared some good impressions ahead of the Montreal weekend and so did Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. Ferrari is ready to attack in Canada. It remains to be seen if it will be enough, not forgetting that the historic team has now unveiled its ambition and the target for every race is to fight for the top step of the podium.

Ferrari SF-24