The 2024 Formula 1 championship is very thrilling: there are four teams fighting for the race win and a podium finish each Grand Prix, separated by a couple of tenths per lap, making the races spectacular, contested, and, above all, unpredictable. In the poker of top teams, Ferrari has not finished on the top spot of the podium since Charles Leclerc won on the streets of Monte Carlo in the Monaco Grand Prix, which means six rounds have passed since the Monaco weekend, while Ferrari has collected two victories in this first half of the 2024 Formula 1 campaign. Red Bull has not won since the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya, but has a total of 7 wins thanks to its strong start of the season. McLaren’s last win was secured in Hungary, while Mercedes won the Belgian Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit last weekend, the last race before the summer break.
McLaren is unanimously considered the most competitive car: the MCL38 is seen by paddock insiders as the “universal” car, meaning the car that more than any other is able to adapt to the different characteristics of the tracks with fewer setup modifications than others.
It is interesting to note that Scuderia Ferrari brought a development to Spain that was supposed to close the gap with Red Bull and McLaren, but instead, due to the return of “porpoising,” the SF-24 single-seater went into crisis, so much so that in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the Maranello technicians decided to return to the “old” floor, rejecting the new features.
Something similar happened to Red Bull, which in Hungary presented an RB20 with an aerodynamic setup without bazooka design and with a very close-fitting engine cover in an attempt to improve cooling and increase downforce, without achieving the desired results, so much so that in Belgium they returned to the usual solution, explaining that in Milton Keynes they have two developments that can be used depending on the type of circuit.
And finally, Mercedes introduced a new floor during the first free practice sessions for the Belgian Grand Prix: on paper, it was supposed to give more downforce, but without adequate knowledge and fine-tuning, it resulted in harmful “bouncing,” so much so that the solution was rejected on Saturday morning in favor of the standard version. The W15 car, which did not seem competitive in the Ardennes, after taking the step back became the car that achieved a commanding one-two finish on Sunday, despite the fact that race winner George Russell was later disqualified because the black and silver car was underweight by 1.5 kg.
Experience teaches that with ground effect cars, development is not linear, and it is curious to note that McLaren is considered the most competitive car, despite being the F1 car with fewer interventions other than track adaptations. The development race this year must be carefully considered.
Since the gap between the cars is very narrow, bringing an update that can give one or two tenths in the wind tunnel and then make the car less drivable and therefore less performant can be a mistake. We are experiencing a curious stop-and-go season in developments.
Fred Vasseur, Ferrari team principal, has a clear picture of the Maranello team’s situation. The French manager mentioned that compared to twelve months ago, they have made a good step forward. Additionally, he pointed out that four teams are now competing for podiums and victories, which is positive for the Formula 1 championship, while at the same time noting that everything is open for the second part of the 2024 F1 season, as even a small improvement of one or two tenths can make a significant difference.
Ferrari’s example is illustrative: the new floor of the red car, which was rejected at Silverstone, was reintroduced in Hungary with a series of reinforcements to limit bouncing in fast sections. The Hungarian track, with a low average speed, did not have many points where harmful “bouncing” appeared. It was very different for the Spa-Francorchamps weekend, where there were long straights, as Carlos Sainz even reached 349.1 kilometers per hour at the Kemmel braking point and fast corners where the phenomenon could occur.
The floor was further reinforced, and “porpoising” was seen, but in a less invasive way than in the British Grand Prix. The Maranello technicians, therefore, understood which path to take to make the car drivable for the drivers and respectful of the tires.
And so, it becomes clear how fundamental it is to put the driver in a position to have the feeling and full confidence in the car. The department led by Ferrari Chief Project Engineer Fabio Montecchi, in order to reinforce the floor that was flexing, used more material which costs something in terms of weight. But in the search for performance, strange compromises must be sought.
Charles Leclerc has often complained this year about braking that does not have the bite the Monegasque would like at the apex attack of the corner, sometimes recording different temperature differences between the two front corners. On the SF-24, Ferrari mounted Brembo’s new calipers this year, which reduce over 300 grams of unsprung mass on the front axle.
No team that has adopted them has had issues, benefiting from the weight reduction with equal stiffness, while the Scuderia, to satisfy its driver, chose to take a step back, reintroducing last year’s material, combined with the 2023 ducts and intakes. An operation that does not concern the supplier, but which also resulted in an inevitable weight increase of the red car.
If we look at George Russell’s Mercedes, which in Belgium ended up below the minimum weight limit, which is 798 kilograms with the driver, by 1.5 kilograms, it becomes evident how Formula 1 seeks in an exasperated manner to lighten individual parts to find performance: 10 kilograms, roughly counted, are worth three tenths per lap, which is basically the effect of two aerodynamic updates!
Despite this axiom, Ferrari is playing a game that might seem mutually incompatible: in order to put Charles Leclerc in the position to give his best again in extracting the potential from the SF-24 single-seater, the Maranello technicians did not hesitate to concede something on weight. The two tenths that the driver can add himself are worth much more than the hundredths lost due to the increase in the car’s mass. And perhaps there are those working on other parts of the car to slim down the SF-24 to reach the limit, like in a game that seems endless.
Leave a Reply