The Prancing Horse technicians are analyzing the data to understand the “Zandvoort mystery” by which a car that was unpresentable in qualifying (Charles Leclerc sixth, nine tenths behind Lando Norris’ pole position) became competitive in the race (the Monegasque finished 2”5 behind Max Verstappen, second for Red Bull.
In F1, mysteries do not exist and uncomfortable questions must find precise answers. A simulation data overlooked in the difficult free practice and analyzed during the night between Saturday and Sunday would have allowed the red to find a way to make the tires work in the right operating window, finding that performance that the SF-24 is able to give when you manage to extract the true potential from the red.
Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari, lifts third place trophy at Zandvoort
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
Finding the right balance is an alchemy that only McLaren seems to have found, managing to make the MCL38 a “universal” car, capable of adapting to the characteristics of all tracks, allowing them to introduce update packages that worked immediately, while Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes recorded forms of rejection that slowed down its development.
The Maranello team looks to Monza with confidence after having faced the Dutch trip without evolutions because what was in preparation was not ready. In the temple of speed there will be the aerodynamic configuration with minimum load and the long-awaited floor will debut that should erase the nightmare of bouncing at high speeds and on the support bends like the Parabolica (Alboreto).
Black clothing for Ferrari drivers for the Italian GP
Photo by: Ferrari
The Italian GP opens a trio of races (Monza, Baku and Singapore) in which the SF-24 should find itself at ease to turn around a season that is not giving it the satisfaction that Maranello was expecting.
The new surface, which has been modified in the way air is extracted from the Venturi channels and which is also modified in the floor area, should allow Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz to once again fight for the top positions on their home track, which features a completely new asphalt surface and a slightly redesigned First Variant.
Ferrari Wind Tunnel
Photo by: Ferrari
In the meantime, in the Maranello wind tunnel, calibration work is proceeding after the moving carpet was replaced during the summer break. It took 15 days for the hardware and it will take the same amount of time to get the software to work perfectly.
With the new moving carpet, in fact, the Scuderia can improve the quality of the investigation in the wind tunnel by being able to bring the 40% scale model closer to the floor and allowing Diego Tondi’s aerodynamicists to broaden the investigation with the single-seater in yaw, with a steering angle increased compared to before. Having a more extensive aerodynamic map should allow the study of a car less sensitive to gusts of wind.
The month of September, therefore, will be strategic for the Prancing Horse to measure the ambitions with which the team led by Fred Vasseur will be able to close the 2024 championship and with which ambitions it will be able to welcome the awaited Lewis Hamilton…
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