Ferrari's major update for 2022 Spanish GP worth three tenths

In the 2022 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Red Bull was very strong in the medium-fast and high-speed corners, while last weekend in the Miami Grand Prix, the engineers of the Anglo-Austrian team went for softer set-ups, favoring the an improved behavior of the RB18 in the slow sections and in terms of tire management: “Our car could count on a little more downforce in terms of wing configuration, which is why we lacked speed on the straight, but we usually gain a little more in corners,” said Mattia Binotto. “That was actually the case if we consider the straight between turns 5 and 7 but perhaps not in the very slow corners. Red Bull was very good in this regard, especially with the medium tires which allowed them to be as fast as we are in the slow corners, “concluded the Italian-Swiss enginee, at the end of the Miami Grand Prix.

This shows once again how Red Bull can now count on a more complete package, which of course also has to confirm on tracks that require more downforce such as the Circuit the Catalunya which will host the next round of the F1 championship. Ferrari is also aware that it can no longer wait and they have to hit back by also introducing the first real updates updates on the F1-75 car.

As formu1a.uno informed in recent weeks, the technical staff in Maranello has worked constantly on several fronts. Some for the short term, others for the longer term. The good correlation that emerged during the six-day pre-season testing sessions allowed the Italian side to push on developments that are in any case defined as “not too flashy yet significant”, for what they should be worth in terms of lap time gained.

In Barcelona, in addition to the wing adaptations for a high-load circuit already confiremd by Mattia Binotto, there will be an update for the much-talked-about F1-75 sidepods, known as “goldfish tanks” in the Ferrari garage. The dimensions between the entrances and the Coca Cola area will be redesigned, mainly to improve aerodynamic efficiency. It will be a slightly less conservative solution than the one used at the beginning of the 2022 Formula 1 season. From this point of view, Ferrari, but also other teams, started the season leaving space to be able to make the solution more aggressive as the weeks went by. Interventions in this area have already been made by Red Bull in the tests in Bahrain, by Alpine and Alfa Romeo in these first five races of the current campaign, as confirmed by formu1a.uno after the Miami GP.

There will also be some minor aerodynamic upgrades to decrease drag in some points while maintaining the same downforce and increase car stability. One of which has already been anticipated in Miami, namely the redesigned and strengthened steering arm which has been subject to aerodynamic tests.

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The new floor specification is in the works and may also be brought for the Spanish Grand Prix, yet this is not certain at this moment. Barcelona is logistically easy to reach so there is a chance Ferrari will be able to introduce it for the next round. This macro component would be the first real and important ‘anti porpoising’ solution, pending the new rear suspension on which Ferrari has been working since the winter tests, so for a few weeks. What they expect in Maranello is to be able to lower the car further to unlock extra performance, especially in the fast, without too much compromise set-up; if this happens, the direct consequences will be the possibility to also gain in the slow corners using less stiffness and to take advantage of wings specific for less downforce that will allow to eliminate part of the drag as compared to the Red Bull RB18 and partially masked by an excellent engine.

But for Ferrari there will not only be aerodynamic innovations, according to formu1a.uno. The complete update package should be worth 3 tenths of a second and would allow Ferrari to get close or even once again be ahead of Red Bull, without taking into considerations the developments which the Austrian team could also introduce. Included in this package there is also a small gain deriving from the introduction of some lighter components which should reduce the F1-75 weight by 2 kg, thus approaching the limit weight set at 798 kg.