Ferrari SF-24: the foundation of project 676 seems truly solid and substantial. This doesn’t mean the red car will win the championship, of course. We refer to the Maranello team’s desire to achieve a significant performance step. Ferrari’s technical director confirms this on F1 TV. Although not explicitly delving into pure performance, he firmly asserts that the long-awaited correlation is there, as the new car is easier to drive and more predictable in terms of behavior.
Somewhat echoing what Charles Leclerc stated after the morning session. We saw a smiling but tightly-lipped Monegasque. Early-season tests remain just that, and discussing performances extensively is merely a waste of time. An impractical exercise, in essence. It’s only worth noting that Red Bull remains the favorite for the F1 2024 season.
For the rest, we can add that the latest addition from the Maranello factory responds well to changes. This should be emphasized, as during the previous year, tuning the red car was almost always mandatory. The reason? We know it well: the commendable weak front-end that didn’t allow engineers to explore the setup window to accommodate the car according to the track.
Ferrari/Performance Analysis: SF-24 faster than all, but Red Bull still has the best efficiency
During the second day of testing, Ferrari continued its program but also encountered some issues. Charles Leclerc damaged the floor late in the morning due to a loose drain. Fortunately, the session did not resume, and the lost time was not felt. Charles completed several runs with the C3 tire, continuing the work from Wednesday.
Refining the setup, trying to understand how to make the most of the operational window, this was part of Ferrari’s program for the day. A lot of work also on the tire front to maximize the performance of the compounds. The tire models need updating to improve simulation inputs, in order to obtain more reliable and accurate outputs for the future. Some laps with the flow-viz were also scheduled.
All data from these tools are later cross-referenced with those from CFD simulations and wind tunnel tests. In terms of pressure, you need to have the same dimensionless values in all three cases (CFD, wind tunnel, and track), as models in the wind tunnel are tested at 60% scale. Paint is used for a visual test to see if the streamlines follow the predetermined paths in reality.
In concrete terms, in the first run, a car with a slight lack of rotation was observed, but perhaps the operational window had not yet been centered. Immediately, however, a more decisive turn-in was seen, especially at Turn 10. A very complex turn as it involves both steering and braking simultaneously. Also, there are small undulations that make the approach difficult.
During the first pit stop, some minor changes to the front end were made to the SF-24. Overall, we can say that compared to Wednesday, setup adjustments have been reduced. In the next stint, a slight oversteer appeared, a characteristic that enhances Charles Leclerc‘s driving style. Overall, Ferrari is well-balanced even in Turn 13, where several cars struggled.
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Perhaps a less useful day for Red Bull as Sergio Perez was at the wheel. The Mexican had a difficult morning. The RB20 seemed to often lose the rear on entry, just like Max Verstappen did yesterday during the early laps. We know that the front of the Austrian car is always more precise, but too much precision on the front-end put the Mexican in crisis.
Max Verstappen, on the other hand, is comfortable in such a condition and manages to push even harder. In terms of performance, therefore, it seems difficult to treat today’s data on the dry lap. Although Carlos Sainz’s red car was the fastest, compared to Max Verstappen’s time from Wednesday, the SF-24 of the Spaniard seemed less efficient.
Not surprisingly, last year, one of McLaren’s main problems was the high aerodynamic drag. Charles Leclerc only ran in the morning with a slower track. Perez’s data makes the RB20 look very low drag, partly true but especially very efficient.
Regarding Mercedes, the team has not yet identified the operational window. Lewis struggled a lot with the rear, which felt light, especially on entry. Also, there were controls on exit, as if the car couldn’t put down the power.
Source: FUnoanalisitecnica
Let’s also introduce an updated chart of micro-sectors, considering various drivers. Overall, the high speed of the Red Bull on the main straight is evident, but also the SF-24’s excellent ability to brake in a straight line. The Maranello car dominates the first section thanks to excellent traction. The braking points for Turns 04, 11, and 14 are also the territory of the red car.
In the snake, the complex of turns 5-6-7, Ferrari does not disappoint at all, but the RB20 is better at changing direction between 6 and 7. As we mentioned at the beginning, the SF-24 also behaved much better in Turn 9 and 10. However, the absence of Verstappen, who can express a lot of potential in that section compared to his teammate, was noticeable.
Lastly, the slower sections of turns 11-12-13 confirms that the Aston Martin AMR-24 has inherited high vertical load from the parent car.
Source: Alessandro Arcari and Niccoló Arnerich for FUnoanalisitecnica
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