FP2 telemetry data: Ferrari SF-24 excels in braking, Red Bull RB20 excellent in traction

Charles Leclerc dominates Friday practice for the Monaco Grand Prix. At his home race, the Ferrari driver made his intentions for the weekend clear right from the start: to take the race win and fulfill a dream. On track, his car was very precise, allowing for an overall drive without corrections. The determination shown by the Ferrari driver is worthy of someone who wants to give their all at any cost, as evidenced by his anger when traffic prevented him from setting a time probably under the 11-second barrier.

On the other hand, it was another complicated Friday for Red Bull. The Austrian team confirmed some issues related to the front-end as seen at the Imola circuit. The technicians chose a setup that has not yet been optimized, although the potential is very high as always. The difficulties that emerged can be addressed with fine-tuning tomorrow. Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, on the other hand, finished the FP2 in second and third place respectively on the Monaco track. The two veterans demonstrated all their experience, offering an interesting initial performance that, as in the case of Ferrari, must be confirmed on race day.

F1, Monaco GP S1: Ferrari delays braking at the casino

Without further delay, let’s delve into the specifics and see what the GPS data reveals from the second free practice session in Monte Carlo. Lewis Hamilton reaches the highest speed in turn 1, utilizing a car that, as we will see throughout the lap, had a more aggressive engine map. In turn 1, Charles Leclerc optimizes the braking phase, delaying the apex. Compared to his soon-to-be Maranello teammate, considering Max Verstappen’s GPS data incorrect, the Monegasque driver reaches 100% throttle earlier. He also more efficiently utilizes the hybrid power on the climb towards the casino.

In turn 3, a different braking style is again noticeable. The Monégasque, who during practice asked for a modification in the brake balance, shows greater confidence. As the throttle telemetry data shows, Charles Leclerc significantly delays the braking for turn 4, keeping the throttle open for a longer period. However, this approach forced the home driver to a slower corner exit towards the second sector.

F1, Monaco GP S2: RB20 optimizes traction in the slow corners

In the slowest section of the track between turn 5 and turn 8, Charles Leclerc again favors the braking phase, finding himself forced to partly sacrifice the exit. The RB20, however, seems capable of maximizing its performance in traction. Although the Austrian single-seater was not perfect in entry, the tuning developed by the technicians facilitated the drivers in transferring the power to the ground. Exploiting this important characteristic of the car, Max Verstappen recorded the best speeds in the short stretches after the turns.

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On the straights, however, Max Verstappen’s car was noticeably down on power. The data shows that the speed line of car number 1 is lower compared to others, due to a less aggressive hybrid map. Indeed, from mid-straight the lines of the Mercedes W15 of Lewis Hamilton and the Ferrari SF-24 of Charles Leclerc diverge from that of Max Verstappen, thanks to greater electric support.

Before the next chicane, Lewis Hamilton once again gets the best response, but he brakes earlier than Charles Leclerc. The red number 16 maintains the trend shown in the previous corners and in the early season races, disadvantaging the exit. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion is the most effective after turn 11 and is the best on the straight leading to the tobacconist corner. Lewis Hamilton maintains a better average even though Max Verstappen reached 100% throttle before him.

F1, Monaco GP S3: Charles Leclerc confidently delays braking with Ferrari

The values analyzed in the first two sections do not vary much in the last third of the track. Charles Leclerc with his Ferrari maintains a cornering setup that favors entry, both after the swimming pool section and at Rascasse, while Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are better on exit. At turn 16, the Monégasque had a completely different approach compared to his opponents. Higher confidence compared to his competitors allowed him to significantly delay the braking point and consequently achieve the best minimum speeds at the apex of the turns.

Even in the final straight, the values do not change, with Hamilton performing better by exploiting the power available. Ferrari started the Monaco weekend with a car designed to win. In the hands of Leclerc, the SF-24 is as fast as it is precise, allowing the Monégasque to make a difference in the braking phase. Only through data analysis will the performance engineers, together with the driver, understand whether to maintain this approach for tomorrow. In any case, the path taken seems to be the right one for the Prancing Horse.