In a very disappointing weekend in the British Grand Prix, the only added value that Ferrari took home from Silverstone was the data collected from Friday’s tests with two different car specifications. The comparative test between Charles Leclerc’s SF-24, configured with the Barcelona package, and Carlos Sainz’s car with the Imola package allowed the Maranello team’s engineers to identify and evaluate the issues that emerged with the latest update.
The analysis revealed that it will not be possible to correct the issues of the updates without producing a specific one, so the solution will arrive, but not soon. The technical time required to bring the corrections to the cars, namely to adapt the SF-24 to all types of circuits, does not allow for hope in anything new before the Zandvoort weekend, the first stop on the Formula 1 calendar after the summer break.
In the meantime, there are two tracks to face, Hungaroring and Spa, which are very different in terms of characteristics and layout. Pending definitive solutions, for Ferrari engineers, the two packages tested on Friday at Silverstone will become ‘setup tools,’ meaning their use will be evaluated based on the characteristics of the circuits.
In Hungary, the two SF-24 cars will be in Barcelona configuration, as the Hungaroring has only one corner (turn 4) that is taken at over 250 km/h. The bouncing problem will not be present, or will be very limited compared to what was seen at Silverstone and on the Catalunya circuit, an aspect that will allow enjoying the benefits of the latest updates without suffering the drawbacks.
The scenario will be different at Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps. On the Belgian track, driving a car that bounces at high speeds will be a significant handicap; consequently, it is very likely that the Imola package, the configuration that ran in qualifying and the race at Silverstone, will be brought out for the last stop before the summer break.
The imperative for Ferrari will be to limit the damage in the comparison with direct competitors in the Constructors’ standings (McLaren and Mercedes) by trying to capitalize on as many points as possible, knowing they have one less update than the competition.
The moment of difficulty that the team is experiencing is clearly highlighted by the Constructors’ standings. After the Monaco Grand Prix, won by Charles Leclerc, Ferrari was 24 points behind Red Bull and had a 68-point lead over McLaren.
After Silverstone, the gap to Red Bull has increased to 71 points, and the lead over McLaren has shrunk to 7 points. The outlook seems to be one of gritting their teeth until the SF-24 becomes an all-rounder again, hoping that in the meantime, McLaren is not already at an uncatchable distance to hope for a comeback.
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