Scuderia Ferrari focused extensively on the SF-24 during the first free practice day in view of the Bahrain Grand Prix. The first two practice sessions of the season showed different outcomes compared to what we saw in 2023. Mercedes seems to have hit the mark with its project, placing its cars in the first two positions of the time sheets. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are driving the W15 brilliantly, showing improved rear performance compared to the pre-season testing session.
The situation is a bit more complicated for Ferrari, managing to place Carlos Sainz in fourth place, four-tenths behind Lewis Hamilton. The Maranello car seems to struggle with the soft tires in lower temperatures, showing some instability at the rear with a low fuel load. Charles Leclerc, in particular, was forced to abort two laps during the second stint: a braking error at turn 4 and oversteer on acceleration at turn 11.
It was a quiet start to the season for Max Verstappen. The world champion reported issues with the gearbox synchronization and, like Ferrari, struggled to manage the rear of his car. The RB20 requires Max to make several corrections. On the other hand, a great start for Fernando Alonso, managing to place the AMR24 in third position.
Bahrain GP 2024/Telemetry Analysis FP2 – S1: Ferrari SF-24 quicker in turn 4
At turn 1, Fernando Alonso reaches the highest top speed, with Ferrari likely running a lower engine mode. At the end of the straight, the Spaniard is the first to brake, resulting in a lower mid-corner speed. He tends to anticipate the apex, sacrificing entry to get on the gas earlier, but instability at turn 2 forces him to lift slightly.
Carlos Sainz brakes the latest, but like his compatriot, he is 7 km/h slower than Lewis Hamilton. The W15 is able to generate excellent mechanical grip in slow corners. The Ferrari driver is the first to reach 100% throttle on exit from turn 2, showing an SF-24 stable in traction. Approaching turn 4, the trend continues regarding top speeds, while under braking, Lewis and Carlos press the pedal at the same moment.
Source: FUnoanalisitecnica.
However, the Englishman reduces pedal pressure near the corner, delaying the apex. This technique gains him entry speed, but he loses all the accumulated advantage on exit, having to delay the acceleration phase. The Ferrari driver is the quickest in turn 4.
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Bahrain GP 2024/Telemetry Analysis FP2 – S2: Ferrari shows good traction despite low power unit mappings
At the start of the second sector, in turn 6, Lewis Hamilton appears to have a car lacking in pure aerodynamic load development, losing about 6 km/h compared to the two Spaniards. Alonso, on the other hand, drives the most loaded car of the three. As seen in the throttle graph, Fernando is the first to reach 100% throttle on exit from turn 6 and enters turn 7 at full throttle, gaining about a tenth on his rivals in the snake.
At turn 8, Carlos Sainz has the highest minimum speed, being the quickest to turn 9 despite a more conservative engine map. The SF-24 thus proves stable, capable of putting power down effectively and making the most of the new suspension design. In turn 10, where braking occurs with steering angle, Hamilton has the best minimum speed. The seven-time world champion delays braking and the apex, forced to go on the throttle later.
Source: FUnoanalisitecnica.
Despite this, he uses DRS to reach the highest speed at turn 11. In braking, the three drivers considered brake at different distances, and Carlos achieves the best minimum speed. But on exit, the Spaniard has to deal with oversteer, forcing him to lift slightly. Despite this instability, Ferrari man reaches the highest speed before approaching turn 13, showing good traction.
Bahrain GP 2024/Telemetry Analysis FP2 – S3: Ferrari SF-24 showing oversteer
In the final section of the Bahrain circuit, Carlos Sainz again achieves the best minimum speeds at mid-corner. At turn 13, the Spanish driver brakes a few meters before Hamilton, carrying 10 km/h more speed at the apex compared to the Englishman, making the most of the excellent aeromechanical interaction of his car. However, the car continues to show a certain degree of oversteer on exit.
Source: FUnoanalisitecnica.
The former McLaren driver is forced to make two corrections, costing him about a tenth. Something very similar happens at turn 14. Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, in this case, manage to reduce the gap in terms of minimum speed compared to the Ferrari, with the Spaniard performing better on exit. The two-time world champion does not suffer from oversteer, a factor that allows him to reach 100% throttle before his rivals and gain in traction.
Source: Alessandro Arcari and Leonardo Pasqual for FUnoanalisitecnica
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