F1 | Ioverno: “Ferrari ready for the dangers of the Sprint race”

Formula 1 returns to Shanghai after a five-year absence: the Circus finds a track that hasn't changed too much except for the surface being more bumpy than it was the last time. Ground effect single-seaters debut in the Chinese GP and no telemetry data can be replicated for today's cars. Complicating the task, already complex in itself, was the choice to introduce the first of the six Sprint events planned during the 2024 season in Shanghai.

Diego Ioverno, the Scuderia's sporting director, takes us to discover what will change compared to the previous formats of the weekend with the Sprint race…
“The main difference compared to last year is in the revised sequence of sessions. It was designed to be more linear and understandable for viewers. There will be a single free practice session followed by the Sprint portion of the weekend (Sprint Shootout on Friday afternoon and Sprint Race on Saturday morning). From Saturday afternoon we return to a standard weekend format with qualifying and race.”

“Having changed the programming of the sessions also allowed us to divide the parc fermé into two separate blocks (SS + SR and Q+R), thus giving the teams the opportunity to repair the cars and modify them if necessary after the two Sprint sessions. Obviously it must be kept in mind that every action taken must be absolutely well thought out given that at the beginning of the next session we will once again enter the parc fermé regime”.

The 49-year-old engineer from Bologna also highlights other aspects of the Chinese weekend which will also characterize the other Sprint races…
“Another difference from this year is the possibility, in case of damage or serious reliability problem, to request the replacement of the chassis between the Sprint Race and qualifying even though they are on the same day. To be able to even try to make this change if necessary, it is essential to prepare in advance both at team and component level.”

Formula 1 returns to Shanghai after five years. Here the second generation ground effect single-seaters are making their debut. What kind of challenge does it represent to only have one free practice session available to regain confidence with the circuit?
“The choice to do a Sprint weekend in Shanghai is certainly a great challenge for all those involved in the sector, after five years and with completely different cars both in terms of performance and use. Drivers, teams, FIA and organizers will only have one session to confirm what has been prepared or identify unexpected differences and prepare the necessary actions for the next session – the Sprint Shootout – which will already be competitive. Preventive preparation, capacity and speed of reaction will be fundamental.”

What are the characteristics of this track, which aspects will be most salient?
“It is very difficult to predict how the new cars and drivers will adapt to the Shanghai track. It is a very demanding track with different technical contents. The first sector with the sequence of curves 1-2-3 was extremely challenging with previous generation machines and one can reasonably think that it will be even more so with the current ones. It will also be very important to check the state of the asphalt and any depressions or bumps which are definitely the most critical aspects for machines with ground effect.”

Ferrari is usually appreciated for bringing a car onto the track with good basic preparation to face the only free practice session: perhaps Shanghai will offer the Cavallino another chance to put pressure on Red Bull…