Ferrari: why bringing major SF-24 updates to Miami GP is not a priority for Maranello technicians. Ferrari: why there is no anxiety for SF-24 updates in Miami.

In the 2024 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, which was held last weekend at the 5.451-kilometre Shanghai International Circuit, we witnessed what has been the worst performance by Scuderia Ferrari this season so far. After reaching its peak with an amazing one-two finish at the Albert Park circuit in Australia, in China, we unfortunately saw the first race of 2024 without a red car on the podium.

Ferrari was not able to extract the potential of the car last weekend and team principal Frederic Vasseur admitted it bluntly. The Chinese Grand Prix result leaves the men of the Prancing Horse aware that the SF-24 single-seater underperformed and not just a little. The SF-24 car seen in the Chinese Grand Prix never shone and never showed its true potential. Some critical problems were emphasized on the red car, of which the Maranello technicians had partly experienced a preview at the Bahrain International Circuit and in Saudi Arabia. Calls for important updates are loud now, but it is evident that at Shanghai International Circuit, the Ferrari technicians failed to maximize the potential that the red car has shown it can express.

But there is no anxiety for updates and here’s why it’s not just about missing upgrades.

First of all, the outcome of the 2024 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix shouldn’t dishearten anyone, just as there was a need to keep expectations grounded after the amazing Sunday in the Australian Grand Prix. The Shanghai weekend represented somewhat of a leap into the unknown for everyone given the long absence of the Chinese circuit from the Formula 1 calendar, compounded by the sprint race format. These are variables that should not be at all underestimated. The SF-24 single-seater once again showed its ability to extend tire life, but its pace in China was never up to par. The gap with Red Bull widened, but it’s not solely due to a lack of car updates.

McLaren, the second force with Lando Norris at Shanghai International Circuit, is also awaiting its first significant development package on the MCL38, which will be introduced next weekend in Miami. McLaren and Scuderia Ferrari are therefore in a nearly identical situation regarding updates and developments. That is why the outcome of the Shanghai weekend involves several other key factors combined, such as track layout, setup, temperatures or track surface. The Woking car found an optimal compromise in terms of setup and showed excellent performance with Lando Norris in both wet and dry conditions. Team principal Frederic Vasseur pointed out that Ferrari has always been the second force on track in this start of the 2024 Formula 1 championship, while also explaining that his side has been closer to McLaren than Red Bull in terms of overall pace. The French manager pointed out that it is not a matter of half a second, but just a tenth or a tenth and a half. That is enough to fluctuate positions. In any case, the current performance in the qualifying sessions penalizes Ferrari too much, according to Frederic Vasseur.

In China, Ferrari wanted to try a more loaded rear wing

The track surface of the Chinese circuit caught the teams off guard compared to what was expected based on data from the simulations that teams had made before the race weekend, putting the red car in quite a lot of difficulty when it came to warming up the Pirelli hard tires. With only one free practice session available to collect information, there were not too many opportunities for extensive testing and experimentation, despite the new regulations allowing for adjustments between the sprint race and the official qualifying sessions. Scuderia Ferrari continues to use the same medium-loaded rear wing since the Bahrain Grand Prix, even though a higher-loaded version was brought – but never mounted – at the Shanghai International Circuit.

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The only different configurations concerned the beam wing, which the technicians in Maranello have been playing with more this year – especially the single-element version, that was much less seen two years ago. From the information reported by Formula 1 expert Rosario Giuliana for the Italian website formu1a.uno, the temperature and track conditions in Shanghai, a track that was made green again by Friday’s rain, could have prompted the Maranello team to consider a comparison with the more loaded wing if the format had been traditional. The high-loaded specification was present in the Shanghai garage. Reasonably, and forcibly, the decision to experiment in that direction was preemptively discarded. It would have been a more rewarding compromise in the first part of the track – especially in turns 1-2-3 where the SF-24 car struggled a lot. The difficulties in finding a good setup balance in all sectors of the track had also been evident previously, especially at the Jeddah circuit in Saudi Arabia and partly at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain. Unfortunately the very demanding layout like that of the Shanghai track highlighted this factor.

However, introducing new updates for the Miami Grand Prix weekend is not a priority for the Ferrari technicians. As we anticipated several times during the last few weeks, the aerodynamic package awaiting Ferrari for the Imola weekend in Italy will transform the SF-24 car into a “2.0 version”. Significant novelties are expected on which the Maranello engineers have worked hard ever since the start of the 2024 Formula 1 championship. A single large package, referred to as “Round 07,” to be introduced at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. These innovations are loudly called for after the disappointing SF-24 seen in the Chinese Grand Prix and, above all, after Red Bull introduced its first significant package at the Suzuka circuit with positive feedback and results. The interval between China and Imola will be occupied by the Miami event, with another sprint race and a special livery to commemorate the 70 years of the Prancing Horse’s history. It seems clear that the American stage is not ideal for the introduction of a major aerodynamic package. However, this does not preclude the introduction of some innovations. According to the current situation, however, it is not in the plans of the technicians led by Technical Director of Chassis and Aerodynamics, Enrico Cardile, to break the package by anticipating significant parts.

Barring substantial last-minute changes, the team will decide at the evaluation meetings whether to bring forward some minor updates to the maximum, following the line of the small modifications already seen in Australia and Japan. On the matter of updates, the Team Principal Frederic Vasseur commented that the priority is to improve in qualifying, maximizing the potential that the SF-24 currently offers. When asked about the updates for Imola, the French manager pointed out that every hundredth yields results, as seen from the gaps in qualifying. This means that any novelty Ferrari bring can make a difference. The important thing for the Italian side is to start from a better grid position.