Ferrari approaches Yas Marina in the worst possible way. Round 24 of the 2024 Formula 1 season sees Charles Leclerc unfortunately facing a hefty penalty. This refers to the ten-place grid penalty issued by the FIA, as the mechanics of the historic Maranello team were forced to replace the battery pack on car number 16 after all necessary checks. A significant blow, as the Prancing Horse is battling McLaren for the Constructors’ Championship. Already a challenging task, this situation significantly reduces the chances of turning things around.
This morning, Arthur Leclerc also took to the track. The Monegasque completed a clean session without errors, working efficiently under Riccardo Adami’s guidance. His older brother ran for less than half an hour due to the aforementioned Energy Store issue. In that short time, the SF-24 performed decently, showing good baseline balance, though some issues certainly needed to be addressed.
Now let’s also look at how events unfolded for the two Ferrari drivers in the second free practice session for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The two Ferraris hit the track and for this initial run, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz used a set of Pirelli yellow-banded tires.
The setup validation continues to seek fine-tuning and maximize the cars’ performance. After activating the tires, they proceed with a reconnaissance lap as the sunset gradually gives way to night. A single cooldown lap follows, then the switch to Engine Mode 1 for maximum power on the internal combustion engine. Between the two drivers, the Spaniard interprets the track better with a more delicate approach. The track engineers provide all necessary suggestions to improve handling and manage the car.
After two cooling laps for the tires, they go full throttle again. Carlos Sainz is forced to abort due to heavy traffic, and so is his teammate. As a result, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz make another attempt on the next lap. The Monegasque improves, but the Spaniard does not. Charles Leclerc is particularly strong in Sector 1, where Turn 5 appears better managed in terms of load transfer. The work program continues to push the car’s limits. Charles pushes a bit too hard and expresses concern about the floor after hitting the curbs too aggressively, requesting a vehicle check.
The first stint ends with both Ferraris trailing the McLarens of Norris and Piastri, who hold fourth position. Summarizing the situation, the rotation issue remains, though partially minimized compared to the morning’s run on the same tires. A positive note is the traction exiting Turns 5 and 7. However, the drivability of the SF-24 at the apex of several corners still needs improvement, as the racing line tends to widen, forcing the cars to cover extra distance. Directional changes also require greater agility.
In the second part of the qualifying simulation, the switch is made to Pirelli tires with red sidewalls. Both Ferrari cars aim to complete the warm up process as effectively as possible to ensure optimal tire deformation and achieve maximum grip. This phase is carefully managed, and they proceed. Carlos Sainz goes out first but encounters some traffic that costs him time. Charles Leclerc faces the same issue. Overall, grip levels did not seem optimal. Two laps to cool the tires are followed by another push attempt.
Fortunately, Charles’ car has no damage to the floor. During the cooldown lap, Sainz stops in the pits for a tweak to the front-end load, while Leclerc opts to maintain the same downforce configuration. In the subsequent laps, the Ferraris make adjustments as needed. Although the balance is good, precise handling is required to deliver strong performance, which is not yet at the desired level. The Ferraris return to the garage, awaiting their final run of the day. It seems suspension adjustments will be made to improve performance.
Discussing this run, the tires struggled to reach their target temperature. However, once activated, the result in Turn 5 was significantly better, hitting the apex without suffering from oversteer on exit. Additional work appears necessary for corner preparation, as demanding too much from the front end on this track is proving uncompetitive. In the final part of qualifying, around 15 minutes, the two Ferraris returned to the track on Medium tires for a race pace simulation.
With a high fuel load, the Ferrari cars exhibit fewer drivability issues. Partly due to reduced cornering speeds, the SF-24 becomes more manageable, allowing the drivers to focus more on their pace. Comparing to McLaren at this stage is not straightforward. However, the two MCL38s seem more competitive, though the fuel loads on each car remain unknown. Finally, a few observations on what we have seen.
On single-lap performance, Ferrari has untapped potential. Fine-tuning is needed, though. Regarding race pace, adjustments to the setup seem necessary to optimize performance, which is still not at McLaren’s level. The usual simulator work overnight will be crucial for Ferrari, as it will help implement the changes needed to extract maximum performance, which so far remains unrealized during today’s two sessions in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
— see video above —
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