Ferrari can be partially satisfied with the outcome of the 2021 Unites States Grand Prix, as the Maranello team reduced the gap to McLaren in the fight for third place in the Formula 1 Constructor Standings, while at the same time showing an improved pace, mainly as a result of the upgraded power unit which Ferrari has introduced on the SF21 car in Turkey and Russia.
According to the data gathered by formu1a.uno, the power difference on the straights has been drastically reduced. In this regard McLaren was still faster, but only by one and a half tenth during the Qualifying session, a gap which was made possible by “the aerodynamic efficiency of the MCL35M compared to the (draggier) SF21, and no longer a power advantage of their client Mercedes Power Unit“, a source close to Maranello confirms, as reported by formu1a.uno.
Indirectly, this proves that the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) was not that far behind in the first part of the 2021 Formula One championship. The upgrade on the hybrid components of the ERS system was required in order to maximise the overall performance of the Power Unit, and thus cut the power deficit as compared to the Mercedes engine that grew bigger especially on race day.
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McLaren in Austin definitely had higher expectations on a circuit which was most more suitable for the MCL35M than for the Maranello team’s SF21 car. Lando Norris, which has had the better of teammate Daniel Ricciardo for most of the races this season, this time found himself behind, maybe also due to the fact that he was using an older engine compared to the one in Daniel Ricciardo’s car, which was introduced in the Turkish Grand Prix.
When it comes to the Ferrari drivers, Charles Leclerc also showed to have an advantage over teammate Carlos Sainz – one of almost 2 tenths on the straights. This can be explained with a difference in the downforce setup between the two. The Spanish driver needs more vertical pressure on his rear in order to control it, while the Monegasque driver is known to prefer less drag at the cost of a more unstable rear. It is also a matter of driving styles.
The added load on Carlos Sainz’s SF21 car aided him in his first stint on the Soft tyre, which exceeded the expectations of the Maranello team in terms of both pace and degradation rate. Unfortunately Carlos Sainz lost one place after the start of the United States Grand Prix, as his Soft compound tyres struggled the most compared to the favourable yellow-rimmed Pirelli; the 100kg of fuel onboard of his SF21 caused him to struggle especially in the first sector, where the added weight made the car harder to handle in the ‘snake’ corner sequence.
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