In every season, even during those more stingy with successes, the appointment with the F1 Italian Grand Prix at Monza has always been a call to arms for Ferrari. A race in which you have the obligation to make every attempt to aim, if not for a victory, at least for a podium finish from which to greet your fans.
After the disappointing result in Zandvoort and the generally negative trend of SF23 results this season there would seem to be few reasons to fuel optimism towards the prediction of a red podium placed on the Brianza track. Yet there are quite concrete reasons to think that the declared “dark evil” afflicting the SF23, or rather the unpredictability of its dynamic behavior in almost every race condition, may be less perceptible here in Monza. Let’s see why.
Ballerina pressure problems
Among the many parameters that combine to determine the performance of a car equipped with aerodynamics there is also the center of pressure that is, in summary, the point where virtually all the aerodynamic forces generated on the car by the wings and underbody are concentrated. It’s a concept very similar to the center of gravity or “center of gravity” on which the weight forces and the forces of inertia of a body conventionally converge, and therefore also of a Formula 1 single-seater. It is absolutely not certain that these two points must coincide, and indeed typically they do not coincide. So, always in summary, on the single-seater we have two points through which the resultant forces of inertia and aerodynamics pass which therefore “push” the car until it assumes a certain equilibrium position. A bit like what happens in a pan scale where the arm tilts according to the weights acting on the two pans. Returning to the Formula 1 car, all this affects the dynamic behavior of the single-seater. For example, having a center of pressure very far towards the rear will lead to a rather unloaded front and therefore an understeering car. The situation becomes more complicated if the position of the center of pressure is “ballerina” and as such unpredictable. If, for example, due to an imperfect management of the aerodynamic flows, the center of pressure suddenly moved from the rear to the front of the single-seater, this would become equally suddenly, from understeer to oversteer with possible braking problems as well due to the low load on the tyres. This is a behavior very similar to that denounced by Sainz and Leclerc who often declared that they found a car that behaves differently in the same corner from lap to lap, even with the same tire compounds. The reason for this inconsistency in the position of the center of pressure can be caused by the oscillation of the aerodynamic load level generated by the wings and bottom but not only. It is interesting to note that very often the drivers complained about the inconstancy of the car in strong wind conditions on the track, which might seem at least a curious statement since the wind creates problems for tall vehicles with a considerable exposed surface (the classic tarpaulin van on the motorway) and certainly not for low and flat cars. Yet the fact that the wind has become an important variable reveals how much the stable position of the center of pressure now also depends on these apparently secondary aspects. Furthermore, reproducing these effects of aerodynamic instability in the simulator to remedy them is probably not a simple thing.
The cure consists of a new car
It is by now very well known that Red Bull has a good part of its strength in the fact of having a single-seater capable of having load stability generated in practically every driving condition in the race. All the other teams are still more or less far from this condition and Ferrari is no exception. To reach this coveted condition it is necessary to have a project which, thanks to the work of suspensions and aerodynamic flows around and under the car (guided by the famous side pods which are now the object of continuous pursuit of the Red Bull concept by everyone) is able to drive the car as low as possible from the ground always and in any case, managing not to trigger the well-known hopping problems due to the porpoising and extracting the maximum load from the vehicle floor. Easy said but much less done, and approaching Red Bull means pushing your car into a minefield in which losing control is only a matter of time. From the declarations of technicians and drivers it can be understood that the inconstancy of aerodynamic behavior is very clear within the team, however it is impossible to remedy it during the season without redesigning the car due to time and cost reasons. The same technical director Henry Cardile in Zandvoort he had declared “We know the mistakes we’ve made, some choices (construction and aerodynamics ed) have limited the development of the SF23. Our main weakness is aerodynamically. We can adapt (this season ed) the characteristics of this car.” And in fact both Cardile and team principal Vasseur have declared that next year’s car will have a completely revised chassis and above all a completely revised rear end. Precisely to aim for a project that finally gives that aerodynamic stability which today is a chimera for the SF23.
Why Ferrari’s problem should be less felt at Monza
Ferrari has had the most serious aerodynamic instability problems on those tracks where the aerodynamic load and its consistency make the difference. Zandvoort was the last of these grands prix but the Prancing Horse’s performance in Barcelona, Silverstone and Budapest was also extremely disappointing. Ferrari did much better on fast tracks and low downforce aerodynamic configurations such as Baku (Leclerc’s pole and final third place) and Montreal (Leclerc fourth). The best result of the season so far arrived in Austria (Leclerc second) and also the Austrian track in fact doesn’t have big support corners where aerodynamic stability makes for performance but is made up of straight stretches and sharp corners. Spa is a bit out of this rule (Leclerc third), however, conditioned by variable weather and direct competition from Ferrari (Mercedes and McLaren) who have committed several set-up and strategy errors. So the analogy of the Monza track to tracks like Baku and Montreal does not escape, so much so that Fernando Alonso also predicted a competitive Ferrari yesterday at the Italian GP.
When asked about this issue the Ferrari drivers themselves showed cautious optimism about being in a much more predictable car. Sainz Indeed, he stated: Here in Monza it should be better, given that it is a track where normally there is not much wind, there are no long curves And I’m quite optimistic.” He echoed him Leclerc: “This year I’m having a lot of trouble driving the SF23 (compared to last year’s car ed). It has unpredictable behavior especially for the wind. Here in Monza, with less downforce, sudden load variations are less sensitive. This will help us to have a more predictable car that will help us this weekend. But let’s wait for the first free practice before talking. It is still early.”
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