Ferrari SF-24 far from target pressures of tires at wet Interlagos track | F1 Brazilian GP. Key factors that exacerbated Ferrari SF24 lack of grip at Interlagos.

After two races in which Ferrari did almost perfectly, in Austin and Mexico City, in the Brazilian Grand Prix things unfortunately did not go as planned for the Maranello team. Formula 1 is a very serious business, and the various factors sometimes lead to mistakes. The Prancing Horse chose a familiar setup path that usually works effectively. If we rewind, we will recall how, during the 2023 Formula 1 championship, the Maranello team opted to optimize top speeds at the 4.309-kilometre Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace in Brazil. The idea was to perform as strong as possible in high-speed sections, focusing the weekend around top-speed. However, this decision was not rewarded in the race due to a lack of downforce.

In the current Formula 1 season, the objective was more or less the same: to optimize maximum speeds. For this reason, the engineers and technicians of the Italian side selected the rear wing from the setup which was also used at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, a generally versatile specification. With more downforce than last season, Ferrari thought it would not suffer the issues faced by the SF-23 car. But unfortunately something went wrong, especially on the mechanical front. The suspension configurations did not provide the required stability. Long-radius turns like Turn 6 or the “Senna S” challenged the Italian cars significantly in entry and mid-corner handling.

The chosen setup path was not the correct one for the SF-24 single-seater. Misleading enough, it led the Ferrari engineers down a dead end. Even Charles Leclerc did not hide his disappointment after the Brazilian Grand Prix, where he calmly analyzed the various issues encountered over the Sao Paulo weekend. The poor assessments essentially made the SF-24 difficult to handle. Adding the heavy rain that flooded the Interlagos circuit made the situation even more tragic, while Ferrari’s strategy was not up to the task, and the pit stop came at an ill-timed moment.

A more patient tactic could have brought various benefits and allowed a higher finish for the Monegasque driver. However, the most critical issue was tire management. It is not the first time Ferrari has struggled in changing conditions, a scenario where tire preparation needs to be top-notch. Carlos Sainz’s admissions on camera have a reason. Driving the SF-24 on water is already challenging due to the car’s intrinsic characteristics. If the setup is also incorrect, the driver’s feeling with the car drops, and trouble follows, as became clear last weekend at Interlagos.

In the Brazilian Grand Prix, Ferrari experienced evident difficulties with tire management, a crucial aspect in changing conditions. Pirelli’s wet tires have construction characteristics very different from the dry ones, not just because of the tread pattern, but also due to the specific usage requirements needed to achieve optimal performance. To make an intermediate or full wet tire work correctly, it starts with suspension design and setup configuration, where technical choices and compromises are essential.

These elements influence the temperature and operating pressure of the tires. This complex balance is crucial to maximize grip and compound longevity, particularly with intermediate tires that require much more precise temperature management. Throughout Sunday, both in qualifying and the race, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz complained several times about tire pressures, an aspect closely tied to temperature control. The issue was clear: the tires could not generate enough heat to reach the optimal temperature window.

This inability prevents the tires from operating at their ideal efficiency point. When Formula 1 compounds stay below the target temperature, the tire’s internal pressure does not reach the expected level. This insufficient pressure creates a contact patch that is obviously not ideal, and consequently, the contact surface with the track surface is not maximized. The result? A severe loss of grip compounded by increased tire wear. This situation brings to mind Charles Leclerc’s early pit stop call.

It is very likely, based on on-board footage and listening to the pre-stop team radio communications between the Monegasque driver and his race engineer Bryan Bozzi, that the primary reason Ferrari chose to bring Charles Leclerc in early was precisely due to this problem. Both Ferrari drivers encountered grip issues in all three sectors of the Brazilian track. These difficulties pushed them to change tires earlier than scheduled in the pre-race briefing. The effort to bring the tires up to temperature was worsened by the weather conditions, of course.

But even the new track surface was not helpful at all. Almost all the drivers voiced complaints about this, notably Max Verstappen, who won the Brazilian Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc also noted that the track surface was not ideal for a wet race. For Ferrari, considering the specific micro-roughness of the track surface and the SF24 car’s characteristics, many more laps were needed to generate sufficient heat in the tires. Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur also suggested that the problem was related to stint length.

When a Formula 1 tire wears down, it inevitably loses some millimeters of tread, reducing the deformable portion of the compound. This results in a lower capacity to generate friction with the track surface, as a reduced surface area produces, naturally, less friction. This explains why Ferrari drivers struggled more and more to maintain optimal temperature as the stint progressed. This factor further exacerbated the lack of grip and the SF-24’s performance decline.