It was a small modification already anticipated on Thursday, the one that made its appearance on the SF-24 single-seater in Suzuka for the first day of track action in view of the 2024 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix: nothing revolutionary, mind you, just a carbon cover redesigned to direct flows to the rear differently, based on wind tunnel work indications.
In Ferrari’s pull-rod rear suspension scheme, a small aerodynamic appendage was added to the upper arm of the multi-link. Teams’ technicians are carefully working on the traction train corner area, aiming to clean up the wake from rear-wheel losses.
Finding the most suitable solution means generating vortices that help find efficiency and thus performance in a very sensitive area of the car. The Scuderia had followed a development path that curved the mini flaps adorning the brake duct upward. The goal was to increase local aerodynamic load to improve tire behavior.
Red Bull, followed by McLaren and Aston Martin, reversed the concept by orienting the fins with a downward curvature. It seems that the way flows vortice around the brake duct changes. The Scuderia has also found its own research path, associating deflectors pointed upwards with those bending downwards.
The increased rope in the suspension arm contributes to improving the final result: it’s not a major change, but it’s certainly useful in making the red car competitive on a track that, at least on paper, should have been tough for the Italian side.
Judging from the free practice sessions, however, the SF-24 seems to be the only car capable of keeping up with the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, and if the cold weather that greeted the Circus in Suzuka continues, Ferrari could benefit
, as it seemed less sensitive to graining than the RB20, which still remains the top favorite.
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