In Montreal, Ferrari should have performed much better. However, the team fell into a vicious circle linked to pressure and weather conditions. The Canadian track, made up of slow-speed sections, was more punishing than usual in terms of set-up. Wet conditions contributed to this, with Ferrari unable to recover from their set-up mistakes. Ferrari’s grid position and reliability issues made it difficult to analyse their performance.
Barcelona arrives at the right time to establish the hierarchy of the top teams. Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren have already won at least one race. Meanwhile, Mercedes could have won in Montreal without Russell’s mistakes. However, the traditional circuit at the Spanish GP will provide a clear baseline to evaluate performance.
A YEAR AGO, FERRARI CHANGED ITS AERODYNAMICS TO BEGIN A DIFFERENT TECHNICAL PATH.
Today’s Ferrari is technically much better than a year ago, when the first visible changes were made to the SF-23. The team’s problems were not resolved quickly, but this season, the SF-24 has shown this change was necessary. Ferrari’s 2024 car has great potential and consistency.
Of course, there are still some weaknesses. At some circuits, they were mitigated, while at others – such as in China and Canada – the team failed to find a good compromise.
Due to either tyre pressures or set-up, the SF-24 struggles on the softs but excels on the hards. This translates to strong race pace but weaker qualifying performance. In Spain, the SF-24 should also return to performing well on Saturdays
It is now common in F1 that a few hundredths determine entry into Q3. Therefore, Ferrari’s new upgrades must perform quickly to avoid another difficult weekend.
The technical office has approved the team’s 2nd aerodynamic package, which will be brought ahead of schedule to Barcelona. In Maranello, the team worked 24/7 to introduce these new elements to the car.
Ferrari’s objective is for the updated floor to improve low speed-performance. According to what Formu1a.uno has learned, it is almost certain that both drivers will have the new specifications.
In addition to the new floor, we should see changes to the rear bodywork, tray area and ramps towards the diffuser, as well as improved small deflector elements.
This is an important step forward, which should respond to McLaren’s attack and repel the progress at Mercedes. Ferrari hopes to improve aerodynamic efficiency and load quality – which should allow them to keep the pressure on Verstappen.
As always, the Barcelona circuit should provide a good verdict on the quality of work done.
