Ferrari gets lost in the setup maze during the race weekend for round 21 of the 2024 Formula 1 season, the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. In today’s Formula 1, car setup plays a crucial role in the outcome of the race. We know this. It is always complicated to understand mistakes or errors in setting up the car, and for this reason, ideas that seem reliable in the virtual world do not always materialize on the track. This is somewhat what happened to the Prancing Horse in the Brazilian Grand Prix, a weekend that unfortunately for various reasons did not live up to expectations. There are now three weeks to study the data and figure out why the usual competitiveness stayed on paper and was not seen on track at the 4.309-kilometre Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace in Brazil.
Carlos Sainz was struggling significantly last weekend. Unlike his Maranello teammate, the Spanish driver couldn’t get a feel for a challenging SF-24 car. His feeling was very poor, and he didn’t hide it. Since the start of the 2024 Formula 1 season, the Spaniard has consistently struggled in wet track conditions. Charles Leclerc also suffered greatly, as he openly admitted over the radio at the end of the race. However, in his case, the result does not thrill but at least limits the damage. Keeping the two McLaren cars behind was clearly not a given, and managing to do so keeps the fight in the constructors’ championship alive with three races and one Sprint Race remaining.
After the delay due to Lance Stroll being stuck in gravel in Turn 4, rain began to arrive in the third sector during the first stint of the race. Teams, in general, expected an increase in rain as a separate phase, lasting only a few minutes. It was estimated to be a 3 out of 10 in intensity. Over the first 20 laps, the intensity then decreased, reaching level 1. The key for everyone was to warm up the tires quickly, which still took around 2-3 laps. Once activated, Ferrari realized it was faster than Esteban Ocon and Yuki Tsunoda.
However, it was challenging to get close enough to overtake on track, as the turbulent air from the cars made overtaking extremely difficult. The plan was to extend the stint as much as possible. To do so, it was necessary to cool the tires because, as the cars lap, the ideal line dries out, causing the tires to overheat. Max Verstappen began his comeback from the back, relying on excellent pace. The RB20 was very strong in the first three corners all weekend, an area where he often completed several overtakes.
He had a slight lack of rotation in Turn 4, which they tried to resolve with adjustments on the steering wheel. At McLaren, much attention was given to cooling the tires, especially the front right and rear tires. They were asked to manage the compounds, particularly in Turn 11. Lando Norris complained about being too slow on the straights compared to George Russell’s Mercedes W15. The British Mercedes driver, after taking the lead, tried to build a safety gap over Lando Norris but could not do so. The MCL38 car had more pace but remained stuck behind, struggling to overtake on track.
The first of the leading drivers to pit was Charles Leclerc, who personally made the decision to change tires. At that point, Ferrari was expecting a rain shower in about six minutes. The idea was to wait to avoid another stop in case it rained enough to require full wets. Lando Norris also requested to pit for a new intermediate in preparation for the new downpour. The British driver wanted fresh tires to face it. However, the McLaren box told him it did not make sense and that the tire would last.
Shortly after, the rain intensity increased, causing Nico Hulkenberg to temporarily stop on track. Charles Leclerc was unlucky but could and should have waited, as he could have taken advantage of the Virtual Safety Car triggered by the Haas. When George Russell and Lando Norris entered, the Haas driver resumed, and the Virtua Saftey car period ended. Overall, Charles Leclerc lost “race time” against Oscar Piastri and Yuki Tsunoda. Fortunately, no one mounted the extreme wet tires, as that would have forced him into a second stop and cost him more time.
Some drivers decided not to stop, like Esteban Ocon, Max Verstappen, and Pierre Gasly. These three drivers found themselves leading the pack. At that time, however, their tires were too worn to handle the track conditions. Luckily for them, the race was put under Safety Car due to low visibility, and Franco Colapinto’s crash into the barriers in the Williams led to a red flag, a key moment in this Grand Prix. The three drivers were able to change their tires during the red flag, gaining a massive advantage with a free pit stop.
During the pit stop, everyone mounted new tires. After the restart, Ferrari worked to get the tires up to temperature, as they were still quite cold. Compared to other F1 cars, the “warm-up” process was slower on the SF-24. In this phase, the cars’ pace was similar to that at the start of the race, and it was not raining anymore. Then came another Safety Car, this time due to Carlos Sainz’s crash. The Spaniard hit the wall due to a lack of grip, as he could not stabilize the tires.
Only Charles Leclerc remained on track for the Maranello team, showing good speed from Turn 12 onwards. This aspect prevented overtakes by the two McLaren cars. A big round of applause goes to the Monegasque driver, as beyond his double overtake, he drove at least 10 laps in a car that was not holding the track. The rear was too light, while the front end was anything but precise. During this period on the SF-24 car of the Monegasque, constant corrections on the wheel could be seen throughout the track. Charles Leclerc’s calm and determination made the difference, as he never gave up, fighting with a car that was erratic and unbalanced.
Everything was much easier for Red Bull. The three-time Formula 1 world champion pushed hard. Max Verstappen managed to set a very solid pace with his RB20. The car itself allowed him to push, thanks also to excellent tire management at the right temperatures, providing a good level of grip. Observing the telemetry data, we can understand how he opened up a gap. Without a doubt, these conditions made the task easier for the team, as they knew how to manage the tires better than their rivals throughout the weekend.
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