Ferrari SF-24: Suzuka circuit will define if first F1 upgrade is evolutionary or corrective

Scuderia Ferrari is preparing to face the first crossroads moment of the 2024 Formula 1 championship with the SF-24 single-seater. It is indeed a very complex exercise to evaluate the real potential and how good a Formula 1 car is after just two races, two events which were characterized by the overwhelming dominance of Red Bull. The performance of the world champion team unfortunately has the power to overshadow even the significant progress made by part of the competition. However, technical analysis reveals that the Maranello team has several reasons to be satisfied with its work done during the winter, as in this start of the championship it has indisputably taken on the role of the second force on the track. Ferrari has done so through a car that is stable and and is happy to comply with its drivers.

The latest Italian single-seater has proven to be drivable, a factor that gives confidence to Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz even up to the point of allowing Ferrari Driver Academy member Oliver Bearman to shine in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on his Formula 1 debut, despite the potential yet to be discovered of the Prancing Horse’s test driver. The characteristic that most encourages the men from Maranello is the good tire management that has not shown dramatic performance degradation problems. Pirelli provided the hardest range in Bahrain (C1-C2-C3) and the central one for Saudi Arabia (C2-C3-C4).

In both scenarios, the Ferrari SF-24 performed well on almost the entire range of dry compounds offered by the Italian tire supplier. The fastest lap set by Charles Leclerc in the final stint of the Jeddah race, although favored by the use of DRS, confirmed that the set of Hard tires mounted on the seventh lap, following the entry of the Safety Car due to Lance Stroll’s crash, were still in good condition despite the 40-odd laps on them. Undoubtedly, an important and encouraging signal for the Maranello car.

A solid foundation from which to extract performance, aiming to close the gap with the very fast Red Bull RB20. Last season, tire degradation on the SF-23 was penalizing, with drivers constantly forced to manage tires to ensure the longevity of the compounds. Those who did so sacrificed the absolute performance of the car considerably. The evolutionary step taken in this area with the 676 project has been confirmed by the former track engineer, then performance engineer, of the historic Italian team. We are talking about Jock Clear, now engaged in managing the Ferrari Driver Academy program.

The British engineer confirmed that the technicians in Maranello have finally understood how to exploit Pirelli’s compounds consistently. This step was already taken starting from the Las Vegas Grand Prix of last season. In the Nevada stage of the past championship, the red car had the pace to win and only unfavorable circumstances prevented the Italian side from clinching the second victory of the season, following the narrow victory achieved by Carlos Sainz in the “night” of Singapore on the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

Ferrari: Suzuka will define the direction of updates on the SF-24

Thanks to its variety of corners, one of the most demanding circuits for Formula 1 cars is certainly Suzuka. Historically located in the final stages of the championship, from this year it will be the fourth race on the calendar, after the Australian Grand Prix which takes place this weekend. Located about 50 km southwest of Nagoya, the third-largest city in Japan, the Japanese venue has always been among the most indicative in terms of the strengths and weaknesses of the single-seaters due to its geometry and altitude variations. The track has an unusual “figure 8” layout, a unique distinctive feature within the Formula One calendar.

Moreover, it features very slow corners, like the Hairpin, and extremely fast ones like the 130R, along with fast sequences with difficult and challenging direction changes such as the “S-Curves” in the first sector, similar in types of corners to the famous Maggotts-Becketts-Chapel at the Silverstone circuit. It is a design where any aerodynamic and chassis deficiencies emerge easily, especially over the 300 kilometer distance to be covered during the race. In this sense, the former track engineer for Kimi Raikkonen admits that the Italian engineers are eagerly awaiting the Japanese round, considering it a sort of final exam for the validation of the development phase on the Ferrari SF-24 car.

The British engineer has therefore taken care to confirm the probative value of Suzuka towards the measurement related to how good the 2024 Formula 1 technical project really is. It can therefore be argued that the fourth race of the championship will indicate to the engineers employed by the Maranello team whether the direction of development on the SF-24 will be corrective or evolutionary. According to Jock Clear, based on what was observed during the pre-season testing session and in the first two Grand Prix of the season, confirmations are expected regarding some improvements compared to the 2023 Formula 1 racing campaign. These characteristics are summarized as follows: downforce, power, weight and drivability.

Regarding handling, the engineer from Portsmouth confirmed the significant progress made during the winter. Both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are much more comfortable with the Italian car, as the predictability and stability of the latest Italian aeromechanical engineering work have improved exponentially. For this reason, the two drivers no longer fear the sensitivity of the car in the slipstream or in conditions of strong wind, and they can face high-speed corners with a lot of confidence, without fearing that the SF-24 will suddenly lose many load points and consequently show an unbalanced aerodynamic platform.