Ferrari performance analysis in Jeddah: SF-24 trailing Red Bull RB20 by 0.4s

Scuderia Ferrari displayed a strong performance at the Jeddah circuit with its two SF-24 cars. Despite Red Bull maintaining a certain distance in front, the car played the role of the second force on the Saudi Arabian track. This difference becomes evident at each lap, resulting in the usual 20-second gap at the end of the Grand Prix. Is it an improved start compared to the last season? Certainly. Is the result acceptable? Yes, considering the starting point. Should the Prancing Horse settle? Absolutely not. So, the only option is to push. Again.

Saudi Arabia GP 2024: 1st stint: Ferrari gets rid of the Medium
To understand the decisions made on the Maranello pit wall, we start by analyzing the data summarizing the available tire sets for each driver before the Jeddah race. Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes preserved a new set of Hards. The defending champions even set aside two sets of Medium tires, marked C3, which the RB20 used effectively. The Soft was too soft, so no one considered it for the race strategy, except Ferrari’s decision to start Ollie Bearman on this tire. There were some sets of used reds, as usual, for a potential final stint.

Regarding the tire compounds, the theoretically fastest strategy was starting on Medium and switching to the Hard tire. Therefore, a one-stop race, considering the low degradation on the Saudi Arabian track. The start was quite linear, adhering to Ferrari’s strategy based on the lesson learned in Bahrain. It was better not to push too hard in the initial laps to avoid stressing the tire, which works better over the course of the stint when brought to temperature gradually.

At the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Charles Leclerc had tried to attack Max Verstappen, a move that ended up compromising the tire’s life. With the entry of the Safety Car on lap 8 due to the crash suffered by the Aston Martin car of Lance Stroll, most of the grid decided to pit to switch to the white-banded Pirelli. The only two drivers taking a different approach were Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton, who opted to stay out and keep the Medium compound. The rest of the drivers had to either go until the end of the race or make a late pit stop for a set of Soft tires, for instance.

Although not yet in the first “pit stop window,” switching to the Hard tire so early was a clear advantage in terms of race time, saving about 12 seconds. Moreover, considering the data on compound degradation and its lifespan, it opened up the possibility of finishing the Grand Prix without making additional stops. A significant advantage, especially for the Maranello team, which could then eliminate the yellow tire (C3) from the equation. We are talking about the compound that had caused issues in Bahrain, even though specific work had been done during the weekend preparation.

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In terms of numbers, in the relatively short first part of the race, the SF-24 was on average half a second slower per lap than Max Verstappen’s RB20. In terms of pure pace, especially on the C3, there is still work to be done to unlock further performance. On the Medium, McLaren was slow in the early laps, but later, Lando Norris showed that they could make it work well over a longer distance. However, the comparison is not absolute, given the few laps of Max Verstappen. George Russell with Mercedes stayed within 6 tenths, while Fernando Alonso was 2 tenths behind the Ferrari.

Saudi Arabia GP 2024: 2nd stint: Ferrari closes the gap on Red Bull. SF-24 nails the race setup

After the restart following the double yellow flag period, cars with Hard tires had to wait for the compounds to reach temperature, especially on the rear axle. There was no immediate significant performance difference compared to the Medium. The performance gap would widen only after a few laps, as the yellow compound was still in its optimal lifespan. Max Verstappen did well to pass Lando Norris and build a safety gap on the chasing pack.

McLaren’s handling was very good, on par with the RB20 car. Minimal corrections on the steering wheel, a very clean driving style that helps tire management. Beyond lap 20, the performance difference between the two tires began to increase. We’re talking about 1 or 2 tenths per lap, allowing Charles Leclerc to get closer, without necessarily needing an immediate overtaking move. By analyzing the telemetry data from the second stint, we can easily identify the moment when Charles Leclerc showed a clear improvement compared to the McLaren number 4.

Lando Norris would have pitted shortly thereafter, so it wasn’t imperative to pass him immediately, ensuring optimal tire management to extend its life. From the Ferrari pit, some settings via the steering wheel were communicated to fine-tune the compound. After the overtake, discussions began about the next pit stop. The Monegasque lost race time compared to the British driver of the McLaren team, and overall, there was a bit of top speed missing on the SF-24, but this is also part of the setup choices.

Would it have been different if the red car had used a lower-downforce wing? Maybe, but we should also consider that in the qualifying session, the car allowed the Monegasque to secure the highest position possible. The difference in terms of pace compared to those behind seemed to be sufficient to keep them at a safe distance. Lowering the downforce level may have been used in the race, but at the same time it would have been a factor that increased tire sliding and tire wear.

The tire degradation remained in line with expectations, so there was no need to update the simulation software. According to the teams, the possibility of reaching the end of the race was concrete.

Now let’s quantify the performance on the Hard tire. In this case, the gap decreased by 1 tenth, also because Charles Leclerc lost some pace behind Lando Norris. The C2 tyre had been used a bit better at the Bahrain circuit in the first round. The Hard seemed to work quite well on the McLaren, staying, however, 3 tenths behind Charles Leclerc’s SF-24. Fernando Alonso and George Russell remained 5 tenths behind, a rather high gap.

Let’s also analyze the degradation over the course of the stint with the Hard tire. Ferrari is not at Red Bull’s level in this regard but is in line with McLaren, Aston Martin, and Mercedes. Although the level of compound consumption is similar, pure performance is better, especially in the initial phase of the stint. As the laps go by, this gap reduces. Lewis Hamilton pitted on the 36th lap, and Lando Norris followed suit on the next lap. The Mercedes driver fitted the red tire, while Lando was also called to the box for his only tire changes, returning to the track just ahead of the seven-time Formula 1 world champion a few laps later.

Lewis Hamilton’s strategy was intriguing, as they gained a significant advantage by not stopping at the beginning under the Safety Car. That said, overall, they seemed to have chosen the wrong strategy. By a simple mathematical calculation, saving 12 seconds of race time, Mercedes and McLaren would have found themselves further ahead. Specifically, Lando Norris would have finished fifth behind his teammate, while Lewis Hamilton would have finished sixth.

Finally, let’s analyze the values on track and try to quantify the specific gaps. Red Bull is still the benchmark, and Ferrari is the first rival, with a gap of 4 and a half tenths. Compared to Bahrain, the Maranello team has lost one tenth of pace, something they need to improve. Currently, 4 tenths is the remaining delta to close during the race. In Saudi Arabia, Charles Leclerc couldn’t be very effective in the first sector, where he always remained far from the Red Bulls. This aspect significantly limited the performance of the SF-24 car.

McLaren confirms itself as the third force, as in Bahrain, where however they did not materialize the result. They are still 7 tenths behind the RB20 car, so about one tenth faster than Aston Martin. These two teams, therefore, are fighting for the position of the third force. Mercedes remained even further away, being a full second per lap behind Max Verstappen. In Sakhir, they had suffered from various issues with the power unit temperatures, a problem that may not have been resolved yet.