In the first free practice session for the 2024 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, despite Ferrari opting for less aerodynamic downforce on the car compared to Red Bull, as we explained yesterday in order to achieve a consistent End of Straight Speed and attain factual top speeds, the downforce generated by the SF-24 car’s floor seemed really good. This aspect became clear through onboard footage at the 5.451-kilometre Shanghai International Circuit. This is because during high-speed cornering, we observed a very stable, fast, and well-balanced red car, thanks also to the support of the beam wing, an aerodynamic appendage that effectively extends the diffuser.
We are talking about a small component of the current wing cars that, on the Prancing Horse’s car, is capable of compensating significantly for the lesser vertical force generated by the lower downforce wings chosen for the Shanghai weekend. The setup seems to be heading in the right direction, in short. Furthermore, we can say that the Maranello cars ran with very low mappings, except for one lap where they conducted an Engine 1 test to understand the resistance to the car’s forward movement, without seeking a timed reference.
As confirmation of this aspect, we note Charles Leclerc’s very low top speed in FP1, while for the Haas, which mounts the same engine, the powerful power unit 066/10, we notice a discrepancy of 11 km in top speed in favor of Kevin Magnussen’s VF-24. Taking into consideration the changeable weather in the Sprint Qualifying we are aware that everything can change from one session to another tomorrow, bearing in mind that the estimated benchmarks in our analysis of Ferrari’s first outing on the Chinese track still await confirmation, especially regarding the “tire activation” issue.
For now let’s make a short review of how events unfolded in the Sprint Qualifying session for the Maranello team.
At the start of Q1 there was a lot of anticipation regarding tire heating and how the Italian side managed to improve this key aspect after a lot of work in the Ferrari simulator during the previous days. Now we were about to see if the extensive extra work done in sports management by the Ferrari team on tire hysteresis would bear fruit. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc are therefore ready to hit the track in Q1. Inside the SF-24 cars, they await clearance from the mechanics for the first outing of these initial Qualifying session for the China sprint, which, as we know, will determine the grid for the 100km sprint race scheduled for tomorrow.
The two Ferrari drivers leave the Chinese pit lane. “Good warm-up on the brakes”: this command is to input energy into the heart of the tire using the braking system. We are talking about a dedicated warm-up strategy to activate the tires and maintain the optimal operating window for the entire lap. Carlos Sainz made some mistakes, unlike Charles Leclerc, who, although more aggressive on the wheel, managed to optimize the load level of the red car. During the cool-down lap, the Spaniard complains about the traffic and claims that it’s very difficult to maintain the delta. He also questions turn 11, as he’s currently unable to maximize performance at that point on the track.
In the second push attempt, the Spaniard manages to do better, although he himself recalls on the radio how the traffic cost him some tenths. The Ferrari track engineers Riccardo Adami and Xavier Marcos Padros ask their drivers if they want to make another attempt, even though the cut for Q2 has already passed. A minute to think about it, and both Ferrari drivers decide to launch again. In reality, the Spaniard changes his mind and quits, followed by the Monegasque. The decision not to make one last attempt is clear: there was nothing to gain.
Q2: Ferrari SF-24 changes the warm-up strategy
The evolution of the Chinese circuit will be decisive. Bearing in mind that it’s been a while since racing on this track, adding up all the work done on the track surface, the rubbering-in of the track surface will progress gradually. Ferrari hasn’t made any comments regarding tires; we’re referring to the activation of the compounds. In this second phase of qualifying, we will undoubtedly learn more. Everything is ready again to push, keeping in mind that the engine revolutions will be raised to obtain more factual feedback in terms of pure speed.
The two SF-24 cars leave the Shanghai pit lane for Q2. The sets of tires remain the brand-new Pirelli yellow-banded ones. There’s a lot of traffic on the track because the possibility of rain scares the drivers. In this case, the Ferrari drivers are asked for a faster out lap. The Maranello pit wall has estimated that by lowering the time reference during the preparation lap, the temperatures introduced into the tires will undoubtedly be better. All this is given by the hand of Q1, where the operating window of the Pirelli tires was too low, and the available grip was insufficient.
The laps of the Ferrari cars are quite good, especially Charles Leclerc’s, who today seems particularly on point, more than his teammate at this stage. Carlos Sainz is struggling especially in the second sector, it seems. After a lap to cool the tires down, it’s time to push again, as a few raindrops are becoming persistent, wetting the track. However, the need to abort the lap arises, as the wet track conditions do not offer any performance improvement. Therefore, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz head to the pit lane. We move on to Q3.
The situation in this last part of the qualifying session becomes really difficult. The track is slippery, and the interpretation won’t be easy at all. The rain has definitely arrived, a condition where the talent of the drivers will be felt. The Ferrari drivers are waiting at the end of the pit lane for the green light. The tires are the green-banded ones, intermediates. The hybrid mapping is currently set to Soc 4, to maximize battery charging and enjoy the right power from the MGU-K in the push lap.
It is also suggested to take a very wide trajectory at the entry of turn 1, and then gradually tighten it. During the preparation lap, Charles Leclerc loses control of the car and ends up in the gravel, hitting the barriers. After the necessary checks with the sensors installed on the car, the Monegasque driver is called back into the garage. An front wing change is carried out, simultaneously replacing the tires with another set of intermediates. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz makes his first attempt with several difficulties. In this case, the tactic is to keep pushing to bring the tires up to temperature and access the maximum possible grip.
It is suggested to “close the differential” to better manage rotation and avoid too much oversteer. The conditions are really complicated, with the Ferrari drivers trying to give their best. The lower load installed on the Ferrari cars weighs at this moment. Carlos Sainz gets the 5th time behind Max Verstappen. The Spaniard opens up on the radio and comments on the impossibility of managing the rear end optimally. Charles Leclerc struggles more, as the time lost in the pit stop has taken away concentration and, above all, a push lap. Despite this, he is in seventh position behind Sergio Perez.
Tomorrow we will have a sprint race that promises to be really interesting. Lando Norris delivers a superb performance to secure the pole. Behind him, Lewis Hamilton will start on the front row, followed by Fernando Alonso in third. The two “veterans” of Formula 1 have shown what they’re made of. The two Ferrari cars will still be glued to the Red Bull diffusers, with the possibility of putting pressure on the Milton Keynes cars in the 100 km sprint race tomorrow. Listening to the drivers on the radio during the in-lap, there was not much more the Maranello team could have been done today.
For now it has been a race weekend that lived up to expectations regarding the many uncertainties present, to which the rain decided to add another layer of doubt. Liberty Media will be pleased, as someone else except Red Bull will at least start from the front.
Undoubtedly, Ferrari did not expect the weather conditions to change so rapidly. A difficult situation to handle in F1, especially when you’re not fully prepared.
The mistake Charles Leclerc made in the start of Q3 then forced the Ferrari driver to make a less-than-perfect push attempt. Concentration decreases in these cases, as keeping it at its highest level is not easy considering the extra pressure suffered.
Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur comments calmly on the session, stating that the track grip was really low. This scenario made it very difficult to activate the tires. The French manager recalls that it was the first time this season that a qualifying session was held in such conditions. Covering the asphalt with bitumen certainly didn’t help, this is the thought of the Frenchman on which it is impossible to blame him. The Ferrari team principal doesn’t make too much fuss and recalls how in these cases you can learn a lot about the car’s performance and mere management. The weekend from now on will be dry, so the red team is already focused on tomorrow’s sprint race.
Choosing how to prepare for the Sprint Race was already complicated without rain, let alone now. Fred Vasseur recalls the lack of consistent data package for China, as it had been 5 years since F1 had been to these parts. Nevertheless, this context applies to everyone, and therefore the red team has no choice but to do an excellent job to be faster than the others. Talk is cheap, actions count. Fred Vasseur talks about the tire strategy chosen, as Ferrari was the only top team to keep a set of Medium and a set of Hard tires to use in races.
A benefit that the Frenchman thinks they can make use of, as they will have one more choice than their direct competitors. The briefing that will take place in the evening will be very important in this regard because undoubtedly making the right decision on tires could provide an advantage to the two SF-24 cars. This is the thought of the always cheerful former Alfa Romeo. The teams will be somewhat in the dark, and as mentioned, the references to “cling to” are really minimal for tomorrow’s race. The Sprint Race will be an excellent opportunity to score points but, at the same time, it will serve to “learn” a lot. Accumulating the right feedback to use during the usual Sunday race, for example.
Fred Vasseur then reveals a very important factor. On TV broadcasters’ microphones, he recalls how since the beginning of the weekend, Ferrari has prioritized Sunday’s race. Hence the tire choices made today. Ultimately, we can make a reasoning. The Maranello team is chasing Red Bull, and tomorrow, in the first of the two races of the Chinese Grand Prix, the red team’s drivers will have the opportunity to start in the wake of the RB20 cars, to continue closely tracking a team that, like Ferrari, today showed it is not immune to pressure.
Source: Alessandro Arcari for FUnoanalisitecnica
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