Ferrari SF-24 shakedown: ride height test, wider working range

Ferrari hit the track with the SF-24, immediately after the unveiling, for a brief shakedown, followed by another session yesterday covering the 200km allowed by regulations. The occasion was opportune for testing Maranello’s single-seater. A preliminary taste for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz highly useful to set the validation of Project 676 in motion, which remains a lengthy and complex process.

The work plan leaves no detail overlooked, emphasizing a phase focused on data collection and subsequent analysis. Understanding the accuracy of information collected is crucial in this context. If misinterpreted, it could mislead and divert the technicians of the Prancing Horse off course. The three-day test in Bahrain at the Sakhir circuit will be decisive in this regard.

The aim is to continue the positive momentum from the second half of the 2023 Formula 1 season. The progress made by the Maranello team allowed them to work towards the future, despite the structural limitations of the SF-23, which didn’t allow the hoped-for evolutionary step during the ongoing championship. Measures to enhance know-how have enriched the technical arsenal, gearing up for the new weapon to challenge Red Bull’s dominance.

Considering factors like reliability, strategic errors, and miscommunication, Fred Vasseur devised a precise functional roadmap to avoid the aforementioned pitfalls detrimental to the team’s overall performance. Returning to the present, let’s extract some insights from yesterday’s on-track testing, technical information that sheds light on the work program executed by the Italian side.

Ferrari SF-24, Fiorano Shakedown: Positive Tests on the car’s Operating Window
The 2024 competitive campaign begins in two weeks, with the Sakhir paddock anticipating statements from the protagonists ahead of the opening championship event in Bahrain. A highly awaited first competitive round to gauge the field’s strengths. Ferrari aims to arrive well-prepared, making the upcoming days crucial. The editorial team of the Italian website Formula One Technical Analysis was present at Fiorano, gathering initial working settings.

The intention is not to delve into performance discussions, as even the drivers lack clear feedback on available capabilities. However, we can reflect on the work program executed. As we know, one of the most critical themes in the current regulations pertains to fine-tuning the single-seater concerning ground clearances. This is a crucial prerogative, and let’s clarify.

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During the design phase, engineers study the car, considering various distances from the pavement. A “static ride height” is initially set, and parameters are then maximized around that value. This sets the foundation for the first fundamental discrimination: the technicians’ ability to identify the value around which simulations between CFD and the wind tunnel take place.

To maximize results from a wing car’s floor, efforts are made to make it function across a spectrum of variable conditions, elements that essentially determine the car’s dynamics. Hence, the goal is to possess similar load parameters when the mechanical vehicle is in motion. We are well aware of how a few millimeters of difference can be fatal, leading to significant vertical thrust losses.

All this explanation leads to Ferrari, testing primarily these factors at their home track, to understand the dynamic behavior of the SF-24 during the FIA’s first authorized on-track outing. Consequently, various suspension adjustments were made, not forgetting the importance of the correlation between the front wing and suspension to channel the fluid mass towards the Venturi channels.

The new red car has a wider operating window, and for this reason, a significant portion of the shakedown was dedicated to collecting data on this specific aspect. Apparently, awaiting confirmation, we can affirm an improvement for the Italian car in this regard. However, optimism without going overboard. Ultimately, a thought: the season will be long, with 24 championship events.

During this timeframe, the evolution concerning the setup will always occupy the minds of the Ferrari strategists. Competence that, in 2024, must be strategically weighed to consistently optimize SF-24’s performance. It remains to be seen, obviously, the potential and value that the Maranello team’s car can achieve, embracing the awareness that the various levels of preparation acquired over the past months can make a significant difference.