Ferrari disappoints itself once again. In modern Formula 1, tire management is a critical factor for performance. Failing to optimize tire usage significantly limits a team’s competitiveness, and during the first qualifying session of the Qatar weekend, Ferrari exposed its vulnerabilities in this area. The issue, exacerbated by unexpectedly cool temperatures compared to those in Saudi Arabia, left the Maranello team unable to adapt effectively. The Q3 session served as a clear example, with the Ferrari drivers appearing uncertain about how to proceed, compounded by insufficient support from the pit wall.
In the sole practice session available, Ferrari focused heavily on balancing the car. They conducted extensive laps using the Hard compound to achieve consistent performance. For Qatar, the team opted for a medium-high downforce rear wing, a decision aligned with most other teams. While not reaching the maximum possible level, the setup was slightly below optimal. Significant efforts were also made to validate the updated floor, featuring modifications around the edge. This upgrade was briefly tested by Carlos Sainz in Las Vegas during the first practice session, while in Losail, it was Charles Leclerc’s turn to trial it.
Encouraged by positive feedback from car number 16, Ferrari decided to retain the updated floor for qualifying and the Sprint Race, with the option to revert to the older specification if needed. During the limited 60-minute session to fine-tune the cars, Charles Leclerc was instructed to perform several controlled laps on the Medium tires to test the floor. These runs, conducted without the use of aero rakes or flow-viz, relied solely on load cells. Meanwhile, the Soft compound remained largely untested, leaving questions about its performance for the Sprint Qualifying session.
During qualifying, both drivers complained about significant rotation issues, which proved to be the primary obstacle to unlocking performance. The cars suffered from understeer that transitioned into oversteer during corner exits. While the cars did generate substantial downforce, a positive takeaway for the Maranello team, the inability to maintain the target tire temperatures robbed them of critical grip. This was an unexpected setback for Ferrari, which had designed a warm-up strategy that initially seemed effective.
Adding to the poor result was a setup that failed to perform optimally under the cooler conditions. Ferrari was caught off guard, neglecting to make setup adjustments to counteract the lack of rotation. Instead, they relied on data gathered during FP1, convinced that the right tire management strategy would yield the desired performance. Unfortunately, this approach proved ineffective, and once again, the two SF-24 cars displayed significant untapped potential. Performance that could have made a difference was left unrealized due to poor execution.
McLaren demonstrated exactly what Ferrari was missing: excellent balance, achieved through optimal tire management. The MCL38 featured a sharp and precise front-end that worked harmoniously with the rear, maintaining stable alignment between the two axes. The McLaren cars dominated the first two sectors of the track, while Verstappen claimed the fastest time in the third. McLaren’s tires activated more quickly—a characteristic trait of the papaya car—while Ferrari opted for a delayed activation strategy, aiming to benefit from greater grip across the rest of the lap.
With the Soft compounds, however, Ferrari attempted to adjust initial tire temperatures to improve performance in the first sector. This approach backfired, leading to front-end overheating and exacerbating the rotation issues previously noted. McLaren also faced challenges stabilizing tire temperatures but ultimately succeeded, whereas for Ferrari, this task turned into a nightmare, derailing their entire strategy during the critical moments of the session. With limited time and already-used tires, there was no opportunity for Ferrari to recover.
Mercedes once again delivered an impressive performance, particularly through George Russell, aided by the cooler track temperature of just 21.5°C. These conditions helped the W15 mitigate overheating issues effectively. Faster tire activation during the out-lap provided greater grip over a single lap, allowing Russell’s car to outperform the SF-24 in terms of outright performance. Additionally, Russell’s precise handling played a crucial role in extracting the car’s potential.
Finally, Red Bull. Max Verstappen admitted he wasn’t fast enough during the session. The RB20’s primary issue was its balance. During the sole practice session, the team struggled to find an optimal operating window for the car. Verstappen didn’t pinpoint a single problem but noted understeer in some corners and over-rotation in others, with the front and rear axes disconnected—a recurring issue in recent weeks. Overall, the compromise Red Bull settled on proved less effective than the setups chosen by Ferrari and McLaren.
— see video above —
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