Ferrari arrived at Imola with a significant package of technical innovations, aligning with some of the technical concepts of rival teams on the grid, by pushing certain elements of the car to the extreme.
According to Jock Clear, the roots of this evolution of the SF-24 actually go back quite a while, even before the presentation of rival cars at the beginning of 2024, when Ferrari’s engineers had already defined the basic launch package, focusing on the developments to be introduced in the early part of the season.
After waiting through several races, necessary not only to transition from the simulation phase to the physical realization of the elements but also to understand some key characteristics of an SF-24 that has completely changed nature compared to its predecessor, there was naturally a certain level of attention surrounding these updates.
“We know the path of this car from the start of the season because we choose a certain development path and we are carrying it forward. When Charles talks about the car’s weaknesses, obviously we have completed a good number of weekends and there are areas we have identified,” explained Jock Clear, referring to the direction Ferrari chose in developing the car in this first part of the championship, which Frederic Vasseur confirmed to be the right one.
Before arriving at Imola, Charles Leclerc had stated that the SF-24 could make a step forward in slow sections, where this year’s performance has been very inconsistent. The first signs of difficulty in that particular type of corner had already appeared in Bahrain, so much so that after pre-season testing, the Monegasque driver had pointed out that the car suffered from slight understeer in very slow sections. Curiously, however, this has not always been a critical issue for Ferrari, because in Australia, for example, it was one of the key elements for the good performance shown during the Melbourne weekend.
What has been lacking, rather, is consistency in performance, to the point that in China, Charles Leclerc himself was surprised by the difficulties the car showed in slow and long corners, where in other events, on the contrary, it had made a good impression.
The current generation of ground-effect cars has proven to be a complex challenge for engineers, especially in finding the right compromise between high-speed and low-speed performance. Mercedes serves as the most significant example, having seen its strengths fluctuate over the past two years, making it difficult for drivers to find consistency throughout the year.
Each team has its own strengths: McLaren and Red Bull have shown great competitiveness in fast corners, Ferrari has demonstrated good performance in medium-speed corners, while Haas appears to be more effective in medium and low-speed corners. However, the goal of every team is to create a car that performs well in all types of corners, so it can be competitive across a wider range of tracks. For instance, at Imola, a car’s ability to handle curbs effectively can make a difference, requiring a good compromise between aerodynamic and mechanical setup in terms of ride height.
Therefore, while adding downforce is a key element in the development process, the driving force behind Maranello’s revision at Imola revolves mainly around leveling performance across various types of corners. “Obviously, the changes we notice are in key areas: around the floor, rear tires, under the rear wing, and more. But honestly, it’s just an organic development of the car. We haven’t changed the direction of development. There will be certain speed ranges where this package will have a greater effect, while at other speeds it may offer less,” explains Clear.
Beyond ensuring greater effectiveness in one type of corner or another, Ferrari has also worked to improve stability and load transfers, so the balance is more consistent and predictable for the driver. This also means trying to reduce understeer or oversteer, offering a wider range of setups to work with over the weekend: “We are still trying to pursue that small ideal window. In fact, we are also reducing balance shifts in the corner, whether it’s the entry, mid-corner, or exit: overall, this makes the car more consistent, giving the drivers more confidence to carry speed through the corner more safely. It’s about making the car even more predictable and gentle, as we have said many times, making the aerodynamic map more effective.”
The theme of making the car more effective not only in more types of corners but also more stable in various phases of the corner goes hand-in-hand with drivability. Clear added an interesting comparison on how the work in the factory during various simulations differs from on-track work with drivers in the car.
Each team uses specific simulations in addition to working with the drivers, who are not necessarily the official ones but can also be the simulator operators. This proves to be a useful tool for continuous running and for conducting tests independently, but there are also parallel aspects to consider.
“Making the car more drivable always means getting better performance because the AI driver working 24 hours a day in the factory can drive the car faster than real drivers because it is much less sensitive to perceptions. It doesn’t get scared or surprised by the ability to brake very late. So, we are always trying to bridge this gap, which is done by finding a better window in terms of balance, also giving the car a more consistent balance, whether at high or low speed, so the drivers know what to expect,” said Clear, highlighting how all teams are gradually moving towards the goal of making the cars effective across a broader range of corners.
“When these cars made their debut, there was some confusion. Some performed very well in a certain type of corner at a certain speed, while others did not. Now, we are all trying to narrow this window, finding a better balance everywhere. But clearly, you can’t ignore the fact that if you give the car more vertical load, it will go faster.”
Clear also emphasized that as the technical cycle progresses, the gap to the leaders will continue to narrow, with Ferrari and McLaren having partly reduced the gap compared to last season. The important thing is not just to do this on a specific type of circuit but across a wide range of tracks, which was one of the key aspects of Red Bull’s dominance in 2023. Therefore, it will also be important to extract the maximum from the package in terms of setup: “Historically, we used to debut packages worth three-tenths. Those days are gone. Now all teams have a much flatter development curve,” explains Clear.
“We have brought a substantial aerodynamic package, but we are always working on the setup, and I think there are things we have found or identified in recent races that we can continue to work on.”
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