Scuderia Ferrari was able to find a good balance for the F1-75 car in the 2022 Formula One pre-season testing session at the Bahrain International Circuit: the Italian side is among those who have most successful in reducing the effect of bouncing on the straight due to porpoising.
The opponents are amazed by the vertical load that the red car is able to produce while maintaining a much higher ground clearance from the asphalt than Mercedes and Red Bull. In the Sakhir paddock they ask themselves how all this is possible: the answer, according to Motorsport Italy, is relatively simple and can be found in the shape of the car designed by the technicians led by Enrico Cardile.
In Maranello the configuration of the mini-sidepods was studied, put in the wind tunnel in a comparison with the side hollowed out in the upper part and the result was noticed to favour a car with more volume than the no-look ones.
Ferrari, therefore, in the first phase of the single-seater development work could take advantage of its sinuous shapes: the partial loss of downforce due to the lifting of the floor from the track to avoid bouncing, seems to be partly compensated by the load and the sidepods are able to produce.
The Maranello engineers, therefore, are confident in a good adaptability of the F1-75 car, in the belief that the double-floor single-seaters are easier to develop, while there are those who argue that the mini-sidepods may have greater chances of development, but require a longer work on the set-up.
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The greater vertical thrust ensured by the red sidepods could prove to be an advantage in the Bahrain Grand Prix: Ferrari, in fact, has already been able to start tire evaluation (C1, C2 and C3 will be used during the race weekend), while in particular Mercedes is still busy solving problems, especially overheating.
The feeling is that in Maranello, although they are still on the third day of testing, they are already working as if this was a Grand Prix weekend: Ferraru is not looking for the times to chase a pole position which is not in the plans even next Saturday, but rather to find the best race pace while understanding the Pirelli tires that will be available.
Ferrari shows sincere behavior: porpoising is well controlled thanks to the adoption of the floor copied from Mclaren and the Brembo system developed on the F1-75 allows the drivers, Charles Laclerc and Carlos Sainz, not to have to deal with the frequent brake locks in the front which deteriorate the tires.
So far we have not been able to appreciate the qualities of the 066/7 engine which has been deliberately kept under wraps: the only certain fact is that at the moment the power unit of the Maranello team is very reliable. It is interesting to note that this year the only drain from the wastegate valve enters the central drain and, when it vents, blows into the central drain.
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