Formula 1 technical expert Romeo Duchessa reflects on Scuderia Ferrari’s updates and key technical decisions in the Canadian Grand Prix, while also looking ahead to the Maranello team’s prospects for the next round of the 2022 Formula 1 season, the British Grand Prix at the Silverstone circuit next weekend. Here are the most important comments and views of Romeo Duchessa in a recent article posted on Leo Turrini’s quotidiano.net blog:
Ferrari has minimized the losses in Canada as much as it could. Let’s try to understand what it can do (and cannot do) at Silverstone to reopen the title battle
Let’s start in order.
Did Ferrari make the right decision to start Charles Leclerc from the last row?
At the Gilles Villeneuve circuit, Charles Leclerc started from the back row having replaced not one, but two Power Units (but with only one turbo). The move by the engineers was smart because, within an expected difficulty, there was also the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity this season to put two fresh engines in Charles Leclerc’s backpack at the cost of a penalty with an indirect ‘benefit’.
That is, should Charles need a new element, he would only take a 5 place grid penalty instead of the 10 grid penalty of the first time.
Leclerc had a somewhat “slippery” race in the true sense of the word. The Monegasque secured a fifth position which was in fact in line with the minimum target, however suffering for the most part due to a certain instability of the rear. Which was not at all ideal for overtaking conditions, with some lack of traction despite the excellent straight-line speeds.
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The goal (undeclared but imagined) is to use every means to close the gap in the next three or four races, assuming Ferrari will be able to take advantage of the car in safe conditions, given the fact that the recent reliability issues have not yet been completely solved. Basically in Maranello they bought time to examine what went wrong on the second engine. It is not a kind of thing that can be hastily intervened.
Ferrari and Red Bull will bring updates to Silverstone.
A new rear wing was anticipated on the Ferrari #16 car last Saturday, which ensured less resistance on the straight and that was part of the British update package. It is interesting to note that so far we have seen five specs of rear wings in nine races on the Ferrari F1-75 car, as compared to three of the RB18. A sign that in Maranello they are working hard on the development side. From the data collected, the design of all the wings updated by Ferrari now guarantees an increase of 7 km / h compared to the standard ones, when the mobile flap is open.
In this regard, one wonders if Red Bull will also bring a new rear wing, in the endowment it seems to lack a middle ground between those used in Jeddah / Baku and the one seen in Canada. Or if they will continue to run with the incidence of the biplane (or monoplane) wings above the diffuser (the so called beam wing).
Ferrari is competitive on every track is a fact.
In Canada, Carlos Sainz could have won and show that after nine races Ferrari have lost points but have not lost competitiveness compared to a Red Bull which has also improved greatly in terms of performance.
Why was Carlos Sainz so strong in Montreal?
The Montreal layout puts at ease those who normally prefer an understeer style, because it requires a more set balance at the rear. This basically benefited the Spaniard, visibly much more confident and less prone to mistakes.
Trust is key. If Carlos Sainz manages to have continuity, he can finally return to being a great ally of Charles Leclerc.
Towards Silverstone
After facing the Barcelona ‘test’, the 2022 cars will arrive at the second reference circuit which is Silverstone. The scene of the great clash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, one year ago.
Charles Leclerc almost closed the gap to Sergio Perez who retired due to a gearbox failure. He arrives in the UK 49 points behind the leader, which is a big gap, but at the same time Max Verstappen arrives at Silverstone with 10 points less than his own 2021 score. And last season Hamilton was still able to recover the gap, which shows that no conclusions can be drawn so early.
As shown by the wing used by Charles Leclerc, Silverstone is a circuit that even with these 2022 cars continues to be medium load, rather severe for the thermal engine that has to push 70% of the time full-gas, 0 “23 seconds every 10 kg of weight, 0 ”18 seconds every 10 HP. Hybrid efficiency is worth a lot, 3 seconds per lap and a 30 km / h increase in top speed.
It will be a rather difficult challenge. The nine races held so far and Ferrari’s 6 poles mean that the F1-75 is a car with great balance. It has no real weakness, except under certain specific and unusual conditions. The car is strong with practically any Pirelli compound. In braking, in slow areas, in turns in support, in insertion, in traction. All qualities that the English circuit can enhance. Obviously Newey’s RB18 is anything but an underdog, but some track characteristics, such as straights not so long as to amplify the (small) efficiency gap, suggest that Ferrari is always in a position to fight for the win.
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