The first race of the 2024 Formula One season for the Ferrari SF2-24 and the other F1 teams unfolded on Saturday, much like the upcoming race in Jeddah in jusy a few days. There were many uncertainties before this first Grand Prix, which, broadly speaking, we can say have been partially clarified after a thorough analysis. However, it will take at least another couple of events to fully understand the performance of the cars.
GP Bahrain 2024/Performance Analysis 1st Stint: Ferrari SF-24 Struggles to Hit the Correct Temperature Range with Soft Tires
Considering the available tire compounds for various drivers at the start of the race (all top drivers began with used red C3 tires), it’s essential to note that this compound is challenging for the Prancing Horse, with a lower optimal operating window that is difficult to fully center. During the initial laps, Charles Leclerc might have pushed a bit too hard on the used C3, finding it challenging to manage temperatures. Listening to team conversations, the Monegasque driver communicated the fact that he experienced excessive rotation of the car.
This indicates that the tire compounds, especially at the rear, experienced overheating. In Bahrain, there aren’t many sections where tires can cool down, making the issue even worse. In the first stint, Carlos Sainz performed better than his Maranello teammate. Max Verstappen, as noted in preseason testing, was known to be very solid on this compound, and in the first seven laps, he built a safety gap of about 7 seconds over George Russell, who, in a few laps, overtook Charkes Leclerc dealing with brake issues.
By the 10th lap, a potential Safety Car could have aided Ferrari, or at least the Monegasque. It would have given the Ferrari driver an opportunity to pit early for fresh tires, losing less time in the pit lane. Nevertheless, Charles Leclerc entered the pits at the same time due to evident complications with the red car, but he couldn’t benefit from any advantage that a yellow flag could have offered.
Race pace first stint – Bahrain GP 2024. Source FUnoanalisitecnica
After the stop, car number 16 returned to the track in 14th place, equipped with a set of new Hard tires. George Russell also pitted in the following lap, switching to the white-banded Pirelli and coming out in 12th position. The choice of the harder W15 compound had two reasons: the team knew the tire well and believed it suited the car better, considering both the track conditions. Red Bull responded to Mercedes’ stop by bringing in Perez, leaving Verstappen out, who, in any situation, couldn’t be attacked, having a significant lead.
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Max returned on lap 17, extending his advantage as much as possible given his great consistency. In terms of numbers, it’s noteworthy how much of a lead the Dutchman built during the stint on Soft tires, a delicate compound with high degradation, especially on this abrasive track.
Charles Leclerc lost an average of 6 tenths per lap during this phase, while Russell maintained a faster pace than the Monegasque, with a delta of about 4 tenths per lap. Carlos Sainz, on Soft tires, despite starting from behind, managed to match the times of the Mercedes driver, indicating that his performance on Soft tires was not at Red Bull’s level. We can say that on this tyres Ferrari can settle into second place. Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso are much further back, around 8 tenths.
GP Bahrain 2024/Performance Analysis 2nd Stint: Perez Overtakes Russell Thanks to a Quicker Compound Activation
Thanks to the early pit stop, Charles Leclerc managed to reclaim his position over his teammate, but after a few laps, he was forced to relinquish the position again, suffering from excessive “front locking.” It’s important to note that the new front suspension with increased anti-dive reduces a certain amount of ride from the suspension.
Although this problem isn’t a small ride reduction, it didn’t help. As we know, the Ferrari driver complained of an imbalance during braking, causing the car to “veer” to the right in every braking zone. This situation, in turn, creates a clear imbalance in tire temperatures, further complicating matters.
With the Hard tire, the situation completely flipped for Ferrari as well. The Spaniard immediately showed an excellent and consistent pace. The white-banded Pirelli has a higher operating window that had adapted better to the red car, even in preseason testing. The Spaniard driver pushed hard, getting close to the useful window to attempt an undercut on Perez, who, in turn, was pushing to create a safety gap.
Focus on Sainz vs Perez lap times – Bahrain GP 2024. Source: FUnoanalisitecnica
To focus on these laps through telemetry, we see that for several laps before the stop, Carlos Sainz managed to keep up with the Mexican. However, in the final phase, Checo improved by about 1/2 tenth. After that, it can be seen that the Spaniard attempted the undercut on the Red Bull driver without success.
Mercedes, with George Russell, took a small step back with this tire. Approaching the second pit stop, Ferrari had to decide whether to attempt an undercut on Sergio Perez’s RB20 or try to extend the stint for a small advantage in the next part of the race. The overtaking coefficient also needs to be considered. The Hard tire was more durable than expected from simulations, and the window for the second stop was shifted by a few laps.
The strategists at Ferrari then thought of attacking Russell with Charles Leclerc. Therefore, Mercedes advanced the stop to block this attempt. Charles pitted on lap 34, four laps behind W15 number 63. He returned to the track behind the black and gray car, which, in hindsight, might have preferred a red tire if they had “saved” a set.
Carlos Sainz stopped one lap earlier than Perez. However, there is a significant difference between the two: Red Bull decided to provide Perez with a set of used Soft tires, while Ferrari chose to mount a second set of Hards. Could Soft tires have been an option for the Spaniard? Unfortunately, new red-banded Pirelli tires were not available, so he would have had to use a used C3.
Race pace second stint – Bahrain GP 2024. Source FUnoanalisitecnica
Considering the pace in the first stint on this compound, the Italian team decided not to attempt a second stint with the same tire, even though the fuel level would be significantly lower. It was expected that the RB20 would have excellent tire degradation, but such a solid pace was not foreseen.
In the second stint, to validate the track impressions with data, we see that Max Verstappen remained the benchmark. Carlos Sainz on the Hard stayed within two tenths, while Russell had a gap of four tenths per lap.
Degradation second stint – Bahrain GP 2024. Source: FUnoanalisitecnica
It’s interesting to note how the Dutchman actually had more degradation than Carlos Sainz. That being said, it must also be considered that the Red Bull driver managed his advantage in the final part of the stint. We see a similar tire consumption between Ferrari and McLaren on the Hard tire. Aston Martin’s degradation remains very strong in terms of pace and consistency.
GP Bahrain 2024/Performance Analysis 3rd Stint: Red Bull Plays the New Soft Tire Card, Ferrari 3 Tenths Behind Red Bull
Carlos Sainz chased Perez, who, with the red tires in the early laps, had a good advantage in terms of basic performance. As we know and as seen several times last year, at some point, the soft compound undergoes a crossover. In other words, there will be a moment when the performance of the Hard tire will be better than the Soft, characterized by more significant degradation.
However, on the RB20, the degradation manages to be significantly contained as the laps go by. Charles Leclerc, despite having a lot of problems with the braking system, managed to get close to George Russell, who was still struggling on the Hard tire. The white tire fails to be well utilized by the W15, which struggles to put in a good pace.
Race pace Bahrain GP 2024. Source: FUnoanalisitecnica
To sum up, analyzing the data that considers the race pace over the entire race, averaging over the lap, Ferrari confirms being the second force in this start of the season, three tenths behind Red Bull. McLaren could even be the third, but it’s about six tenths behind RB20 and three tenths behind SF-24. Aston Martin and Mercedes are tied in terms of “pure” pace, seven tenths behind the leader.
Source: Alessandro Arcari and Niccoló Arnerich for FUnoanalisitecnica
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