F1 | Ferrari: the Red Bull copy studied before seeing the RB20

Does Ferrari copy Red Bull? The SF-24, which will debut at Imola with the first of three aerodynamic updates expected during the season, will bear some resemblance to the RB20. As Formu1a.uno brilliantly anticipated, the red will change its face on the occasion of the Made in Italy and Emilia Romagna GP, taking up concepts that were developed by Adrian Newey on the single-seater of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

In the package of innovations planned for the Enzo and Dino Ferrari, the Scuderia also worked on the mouth of the radiators at the entrance to the bellies and, in search of greater aerodynamic efficiency, decided to give up the lower tray, to decide on an inverted solution that , in addition to allowing a smaller grip, it allows the flows to be separated more effectively as the flows progress.

The philosophy indicated by Red Bull was also followed by McLaren with a similar solution, but less extreme than that of Milton Keynes, a sign that the development line had been intuited not only by Newey's staff.

It is fair to ask whether Ferrari has decided to evaluate the Red Bull solution in the wind tunnel, after seeing the RB20 on the track in the pre-season tests in Bahrain? The answer coming from Maranello is clear: no, because Enrico Cardile's staff had already been carrying out studies on the belly with the… visor since the beginning of the year.

The B version of the SF-24 started going into Renzo Piano's wind tunnel, well before the 2024 season got underway. So, in Maranello, did they have Adrian Newey's intuition? This reconstruction is not correct either. In reality it seems there was a third way: you will remember that at the end of 2023 we anticipated on Motorsport.com that a handful of engineers had arrived in Maranello, some from Milton Keynes.

Ferrari SF-24: from Imola the radiator mouth will be overturned, the tray will disappear

Photo by: Uncredited

The Cavallino, therefore, will benefit from market movements from Imola. The cue about the inverted mouth of the bellies came from those who had had the opportunity to see the RB20 while it was in gestation and brought their knowledge to the Gestion Sportiva.

And so, while Diego Tondi was deliberating on the SF-24 which we will also see racing in Shanghai in the Chinese GP, a parallel program was started. The study had been started quickly, but it was necessary to see in the simulation tools that the modification, adapted to the needs of the red car, could give tangible performance advantages before giving the OK to the transition from the model in the wind tunnel to the new parts to be assembled in the car.

Ferrari is the second force in the world championship behind Red Bull: the SF-24 is a well-born single-seater with good growth potential. The Imola package which includes, in addition to the redesigned side not only in the radiator intake, but also a completely new bottom (from the flow diverters in the Venturi channels up to the diffuser) and a more extreme front wing, should allow the red to start that process of approaching Red Bull that Fred Vasseur had put in the Prancing Horse's plans.

The turnover in the Racing Department is far from over: there are important negotiations underway which, almost certainly, do not concern Adrian Newey. The “genius” will not arrive in Maranello as many have predicted, because it is much more likely that he will remain in Milton Keynes.