At the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne, Scuderia Ferrari scored a splendid one-two finish which was unexpected ahead of the Australian race weekend. Following the splendid outcome in the third round of the 2024 Formula 1 championship, Formula 1 now heads to Japan, to the more technical and demanding Suzuka International Racing Course. The land of the rising sun will be a crucial testing ground for the Maranello team, who will be called upon to confirm its position as the second force, especially given the fact that McLaren is expected to be strong at this venue and Ferrari must first make sure to defend its status as Red Bull’s main challenger. Considering that the Australian track is very “atypical,” many insiders expect Red Bull to return to form in Japan, showing what was seen in the first two races of the 2024 Formula 1 season. Even Frederic Vasseur, head of the Ferrari team, emphasized this aspect in an interview following the win at the Albert Park circuit, pointing out that not all weekends will be like Melbourne for the Maranello team, but also highlighting the fact that his team has to be perfect and avoid mistakes.
SF-24 still has potential to unleash, no rush in development
The Japanese Grand Prix arrives much earlier this year compared to past Formula 1 seasons. Just six months ago, Scuderia Ferrari, with the SF-23, was over 40 seconds behind the Red Bull of Max Verstappen. At the Suzuka circuit, as already stated, McLaren also poses a threat, with a layout suited to the characteristics of the orange car from Woking. Nevertheless, the Maranello technicians are confident in the package they have had since the beginning of the 2024 Formula 1 championship. It’s an important aspect to consider in the pursuit of developments, which is why there is no rush to introduce technical innovations on the SF-24.
In recent days, Frederic Vasseur stated that there won’t be significant updates for the next round in Japan; it’s too early. The Ferrari team members still need to better understand their current package and extract the maximum from what they have.
The SF-24 single-seater is 95% new, as Fred Vasseur himself has always described it, and therefore requires a process of gaining knowledge or understanding all of the car’s potential. It represents a different compromise but manages to generate much more efficient downforce thanks to work done on the body and, especially, the floor, which remains the most important component of these new generation of Formula 1 cars.
It can certainly be said that Ferrari finally has a balanced and stable car, without the significant drawbacks of the past season. This year’s car is easier to drive and understand in its behavior, it wears the tires less and allows Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc to attack. The current single-seater still has much potential to unleash and, despite its “conventional” and less extreme design, it has proven to be a significant step forward compared to 2023 in almost all areas. The next step will be the most difficult, aiming to challenge the Milton Keynes car more closely. Developments will focus on further unleashing the potential that Project 676 has laid out.
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Another minor update: a small aerodynamic modification to the rear suspension at Suzuka
The first big Ferrari update in terms of aerodynamics will be seen only in May, with the revised major components that will be introduced for the Imola Grand Prix in Italy. At Suzuka, however, the red car won’t be starting from scratch, similar to what was seen in Australia. Like in Melbourne, there will be a minor update, this time to the rear suspension. In Japan, an updated fairing of the upper triangle of the rear suspension will be introduced. It’s a subtle modification, purely for aerodynamic purposes, similar to the small winglet seen on the SF-24 at the Albert Park circuit, which will help manage the airflow between the inside of the wheel and the body, in a crucial area of these next-generation single-seaters. The rear suspension has changed significantly compared to last season, although the suspension layout remains the same, sticking to the “classic” pull-rod design. The upper triangle arms on the 2024 suspension have switched to a multi-link system, while there has been a repositioning of the pull-rod arm in the lower area, aided by a rearrangement of internal elements.
The purpose of these changes, as Technical Director Enrico Cardile recently highlighted, was both mechanical (for anti-squat, anti-lift) and to not hinder the airflow from the bargeboards. The aero-mechanical platform is now more stable. It was precisely at Suzuka six months ago that the SF-23’s floor was updated, mitigating the complexities of the SF-23 and marking the second significant step towards the current car, following the major upgrade seen at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona with the introduction of the downwash concept. This further step demonstrated how Ferrari had begun to “understand” how to generate downforce after the technical directives of 2022 had crippled the initial concept of the Ferrari car, despite the initial strong start. It will also be interesting to observe the updates from direct competitors, such as those that Red Bull will bring to the track, and see if these will immediately be decisive in extending their lead over the SF-24, at least until Imola.
Source: FUnoanalisitecnica
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