By Carlo Platella
The victory in Monte Carlo highlighted the mechanical advantages of Ferrari suspensions, which will be useful in Canada where the aggression of curbs and roughness will once again be a relevant issue. The success in Monaco, however, did not suddenly transform the SF-24 into the best car of the lot, with the knowledge that we will probably witness a new three-way fight with Red Bull and McLaren. In fact, between tyres, asphalt, straights, strategy and braking, there are several themes that increase interest on the eve of the Montreal stage.
The curbs of Canada
The Montreal track has some characteristics in common with that of Monte Carlo which saw Ferrari with Charles Leclerc victorious. The Canadian one is also a city track, where they are the ones who pay the harmony as well as the rider’s confidence in the vehicle, to be able to push to the millimeter to the limits of the track. In addition to the many dangerous walls, there is no shortage of grass escape routes, including the one restored this year at chicane 8-9 where previously there was an easier asphalt surface.
The city nature of Montreal proposes the theme of a bumpy asphalt, which is flanked by high curbs to be attacked with determination, on all those of the famous last chicane. In Monte Carlo, McLaren and especially Red Bull paid the price for their reduced ability to digest bumps, breaking down and leaving precious time on the road. In the case of the world champions, however, it is good to remember how the problem tends to ease at high speeds, when the greater aerodynamic load helps the RB20 to stabilize in the rebound phase, so much so in Imola that it was able to decisively attack the curbs of the Variante del Tamburello. Albeit to a certain extent, in Canada the shortcomings of the RB20 will therefore resurface. It is no coincidence that already in 2023 the Canadian one was one of the most ‘suffering’ races for Red Bull, with Verstappen winning with just 10 seconds of margin over Alonso with the same strategy.
Breakaways and slow turns
The excellent mechanical behavior of the SF-24 appreciated in Monaco will come in handy for Ferrari in Canada, instilling optimism in the team. To succeed in an encore, however, it will also be necessary to master other areas of performance, including low-traffic curves, which are decidedly abundant in Montreal and where the Red team suffered the most at the start of the season. Indicative is how Montreal recorded one of the lowest average lap speeds of the entire season. If up until Imola the calendar average was 231 km/h in qualifying, in Canada it drops to just under 215 km/h, still far from the 170 km/h of Monaco.
The abundance of slow corners contributes to lowering the hourly lap averages despite the presence of several straights. Aerodynamic efficiency returns to being a rewarding quality, where Red Bull has shown that it still enjoys a discreet advantage over Ferrari and McLaren, the latter however growing. Furthermore, the mix between straights and slow curves, where the effects of aerodynamics are less tangible, pushes the adoption of low-load configurations, a choice at odds with Monaco.
The presence of slow corners at the end of each straight introduces several important braking points. Suffice it to say that of the 7 total braking sections, 5 exceeded 5 g of deceleration, a value almost never reached on any of the other tracks visited so far. It’s no coincidence that Montreal makes money a Brembo rating of 4 out of 5 as regards the severity of the braking system, with the most demanding braking located at the famous hairpin of turn 10. Incisiveness and stability under braking are other areas where Ferrari has performed well so far, keeping the Cavallino alive in the predictions of the vigil.
Strategies
Contrary to Monte Carlo, overtaking in Canada is possible, but certainly not easy, placing again great emphasis on qualification. Exploiting the peak grip of the tire on the flying lap will be the key, but this is far from an easy task. In fact, for the third consecutive race Pirelli offers the softest compounds in the range, C3, C4 and C5, to interact with a completely new and low-grip asphalt. If you add a low-load aerodynamic configuration to everything, a mix emerges where turning on and stabilizing the tire becomes particularly difficult.
In the race, however, there will be no shortage of opportunities to recover or lose positions. The burning acceleration phases that follow the slow corners put a lot of stress on the rear tires, which will deteriorate the main limiting factor in the race. Already in 2023 we have seen great strategic variability between the teams, between those who have focused on the double stop and those who have opted for the single stop, which is why it will be possible to take advantage of a superiority in pace in various ways. Overall, identifying a favorite on the eve appears prohibitive, with the only awareness that Montreal is not a friendly track for Red Bull, who will still have their cards to play. The preparation, set-up and work on the track will make the difference, promising a weekend to be followed from the first to the last minute.
#Canada #analysis #curbs #smile #Ferrari
