Historically, Formula 1’s return to Europe after the first races of a season represents the momen in which the teams introduce the first major upgrades to their cars, whether they are evolutionary solutions or changes aimed at targeting an aerodynamic balance that has not yet been achieved.
The number and extent of the updates are the direct result of the competitiveness of a car and in this sense it is not surprising that Ferrari, leader of both the drivers and constructors standings ahead of the 2022 Australian Grand Prix, has not made any changes to its car compared to the specification used in the three days of testing at the Bahrain International Circuit.
The ability to develop a single-seater over such a long season can make the difference as long as the project itself is able to have wide margins of evolution in all areas of intervention. The Maranello team, in the recent past, was able to build very competitive single-seaters in the first grand prix, such as the SF-70H, but due to an unresponsive development process and in many occasions not evolutionary it had to abandon the dreams of glory well in advance of the competition.
The possibility of being able to count on an excellent basic package, together with a careful management of developments in the economic terms of the budget cap, represent a unique opportunity for the Maranello team in the 2022 Formula One championship. For the next round of the F1 season in Australia, the historic Italian team will not bring any updates, entrusting its ambitions to the native competitiveness of the car and to a circuit that on paper should enhance the qualities of the F1-75.
According to funoanalisitecnica.com, the Ferrari F1-75 proved to be the car that manages to generate more load with the body allowing for higher speeds at the expense of top speed. A first step of updates is planned for Imola, which will host the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix: according to some rumors, the update should concern the floor of the car with a new specification capable of minimizing the bouncing problem that still present on the F1-75 car, even though to a much lesser extent than on the Mercedes car.
The search for greater aerodynamic efficiency, sacrificed in the design phase of the F1-75 in favor of maximum aerodynamic load, will certainly be the subject of medium-term upgrades.
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The difference in top speed compared to the Red Bulls in the third sector of the Jeddah track is a wake-up call for the Ferrari men and can only be partially attributed to setup choices. Maintaining a high level of competitiveness in circuits requiring low downforce values will be imperative for Scuderia Ferrari engineers.
The validity of the Ferrari upgrades will definitively clarify whether the old problem of correlation between simulations and track measurements can only be considered a distant memory of the past. In an F1 that has moved almost entirely to the virtual sphere, the aspect of computer development is a crucial element if you want to claim the right to fight for the top.
