Scuderia Ferrari, the most legendary name in the history of Formula 1, has achieved an extraordinary milestone: 10,000 points in the World Championship. This historic achievement was reached during the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix, where Charles Leclerc finished third and Carlos Sainz sixth. This success reinforces Ferrari’s position as the most enduring and successful constructor in F1 history, far surpassing the second-best team, Red Bull, which has accumulated 7,656 points.

To celebrate this extraordinary milestone, it’s fitting to recall some of the most memorable moments of the Scuderia. Among these is the victory at the 1994 German Grand Prix, which ended a long drought of wins, and Charles Leclerc’s triumph at the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix, marking a new beginning for Ferrari in the era of new aerodynamic regulations.

Another iconic moment was Niki Lauda’s return at the 1976 Italian Grand Prix, just six weeks after his horrific accident at the Nürburgring. Despite his injuries not being fully healed, Lauda managed to secure an incredible fourth place, demonstrating legendary determination.

We cannot forget Ferrari’s first victory in the World Championship, achieved by José Froilán González at the 1951 British Grand Prix. This triumph laid the foundation for the team’s long history of success.

Reaching 10,000 points is further confirmation of Ferrari’s unique and lasting contribution to the world of motorsport. With a history rich in victories, heroic comebacks, and unforgettable moments, the Scuderia continues to be a dominant force in Formula 1.

Fans and enthusiasts around the world can look forward to many more exciting chapters in this never-ending success story.

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Scuderia Ferrari has been suffering tremendously over the past month. Its Formula 1 car, the SF-24, seems to have lost the proper working point. Moreover, as if that weren’t enough, the Maranello team continues to lose key personnel. The latest departure is that of technical director Enrico Cardile, as the Italian aerodynamicist has recently terminated his contract with Ferrari after working in Maranello for almost two decades. He did so in order to accept an offer from Aston Martin, a highly respectable role. In short, another piece of the Prancing Horse has left.

The working group previously forged by former team principal Mattia Binotto practically no longer exists. This scenario doesn’t necessarily have to be seen negatively since, ultimately, the tenure of the bespectacled engineer who grew up at Ferrari was fraught with issues. Frederic Vasseur arrived without much expectation, yet slowly and progressively showed that there was indeed room for improvement. Until the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, the historic Italian team had shown steady progress. From then on, something broke, a context that has resurfaced more than once within the Maranello team.

In this case, we are talking about the failure to make the expected leap in quality from the aerodynamic updates, which should be carefully considered alongside another fact that perhaps not everyone has noted. We are referring to Ferrari’s inability to extract the right performance even with the aerodynamic package introduced at the Imola circuit. Yes, because even without the new floor, the car does not work, and the same porpoising effect is present. This effect stems from Ferrari’s narrow setup window, which, depending on the track layout, just cannot work well. In short, the aero-mechanical compromise is lacking.

Blaming all the problems on the new updates introduced in Spain is wrong. The proof of this was evident at the British Grand Prix, where, without the new floor rejected after practice, Ferrari was beaten by Red Bull, McLaren, and Mercedes. Many problems stem from a setup that cannot handle the transition between slow and fast corners because when the operating window is too short, something always remains uncovered. This is the current situation of the historic Italian team, which is working tirelessly to change the performance narrative of the last four races.

A week of rest and then off to Hungary for the next round of the 2024 Formula 1 championship. The temperatures will be significantly higher than those encountered in England, and the setup compromise will undoubtedly be less complicated. These are two factors that should help Ferrari, which is determined to optimize the weekend spent in the East. To do this, the number one goal remains the same: to find the working point of the SF-24 car, which must be well balanced. It won’t be easy to get out of this moment of technical impasse because morale is not high, and motivation is not always easy to “ignite.”

From an operational standpoint, we are talking about the latest updates. Team principal Frederic Vasseur believes that the data collected at the Silverstone circuit is very important because when mistakes are made, you can learn from them. They have figured out how to eliminate aerodynamic bouncing, they say, managing the car’s ground clearance better. In Formula 1, words don’t carry much weight, as only actions make a difference. Some believe that at the Hungaroring circuit, the new aerodynamic package can be used due to the lack of fast corners that trigger bouncing.

However, at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, the fourteenth round of the 2024 Formula 1 championship, the extreme speed of this track will not allow the use of the latest aerodynamic updates. According to information gathered by the editorial team of FUnoanalisitecnica, Ferrari’s goal is not to diversify the package based on the layout. On the contrary, the target is to make it work on all circuits and, as a result, unlock the yet-unexpressed performance of the upgrades. More downforce is seen in the data, but the track does not reflect this. Comparative tests will continue because the calculations from the English data need confirmation.

For this reason, we cannot rule out that during Friday’s free practice session in Hungary, another test will be conducted in order to enhance the understanding of the new SF-24 aerodynamic package. Meanwhile, work is being done tirelessly to widen the setup range of the SF-24 because it is currently the biggest headache that significantly limits the car’s performance, regardless of the technical version on the track. Speculating on how many months of delay might accumulate is a futile exercise. This does not mean that everything will be fixed in a couple of weeks.

On the contrary, it is still unclear how to resolve the problems. The timing of various maneuvers cannot be “scheduled” because only the supreme judge, the track, can confirm the resolution of the current problems. Meanwhile, the Maranello team must stay united. The Ferrari engineers and technicians need to maximize what they have and, if possible, take advantage of any small opportunities that may arise over a race weekend, while Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz must minimize errors as much as possible, waiting for the “better times” that, to be completely honest, may never come in the 2024 Formula 1 championship.

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Ferrari tried their best in the eleventh round of the F1 World Championship dedicated to the Sprint Race. We are referring to the 100 kilometer race where grid cars compete for points. An event strongly desired by Liberty Media, who, with their wallet in hand, decided to propose this particular format to keep viewers glued to their screens on Saturdays. In fact, the reasoning of the American owners makes sense, as the free practice sessions often bore fans, whereas the chance to see cars race always appeals even to less attentive supporters.

Ferrari had a moral obligation to perform well at the 4.318-kilometre Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. They needed to shake up a weekend that started very poorly, where once again, like in Spain, the basic setup of the Maranello cars caused significant trouble for drivers, technicians, and engineers. The hope of performing better with a full tank of fuel was there, as in the only free practice session on Friday, the two SF-24 cars, despite only completing 6 laps in high fuel simulation, showed very good pace and incredibly low tire wear.

As mentioned, it was not easy to overturn the car’s performance without adjusting the setup. Minor adjustments to the front axle to balance the load are insufficient. Therefore, the hope of changing the situation was mainly entrusted to the behavior of the Ferrari with a lot of fuel and, simultaneously, to the skill of the drivers in seizing every small opportunity. This was certainly the case for Charles Leclerc, who made a rocket start that allowed him to gain three positions in three corners, by overtaking the two Alpine cars and the Red Bull RB20 of Sergio Perez. Carlos Sainz also started well, although the position gained over George Russell was lost during the race.

For the Austrian mini race, all drivers chose to use the yellow-banded Pirelli. The Medium tire undoubtedly stands out as the best compound that can satisfy the compromise required by the sprint: durability as well as performance. In the initial laps, the McLaren cars showed very good pace. Over the course of the stint, it may happen because we are talking about F1 cars, MCL38 and RB20, which have similar performances but “ignite” the tires differently. For this reason, Lando Norris attempted an attack in turn 3.

Therefore, Red Bull did not immediately find the usual pace to build a sufficient safety gap. Max Verstappen was thus forced to defend himself by staying out of Lando Norris’s DRS zone, a factor that forced the Dutchman to use extra power on the straights. This aspect is related to the power unit, which led to clipping at the end of the straights. Once the world champion brought the Red Bull tires up to temperature, he began to pull away from the two McLarens, which in fact had a slightly slower absolute pace than the Austrian car in the hands of the Dutchman.

For Ferrari, it was a one-way race. Without a pace superior to the frontrunners and starting from the back, it was difficult for the Italian cars to achieve a better result. The two SF-24 cars were forced to perform a lot of lift and coast, not to mention the headache regarding the braking system. The disc temperatures were too high, and managing them meant limiting performance during braking. To get the tires to work properly, the Ferrari team tried various changes of the settings.

We refer to the mid-corner differential and braking balance. There is also another issue to consider: significant oversteer. The rear lightened under certain conditions, causing excess rotation on corner exits just when a car needs to open, not close, the racing line. The lack of rear load could cause problems tomorrow when there are many more laps. Rear tires that could struggle in traction points, generating wheel-spin, a phenomenon that raises temperatures on the rear end.

Source: FUnoanalisitecnica

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as if his teammate didn't exist

Nice Carlos.#F1 #SpanishGP
pic.twitter.com/9ddNXa5eo4

— CL16__FanpageFr (@Cl16__FanpageFr) June 23, 2024

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The post Watch: Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz make contact on lap 5 in Barcelona | 2024 Spain GP appeared first on Scuderia Fans.

Fred Vasseur compliments Antonello Coletta’s team, which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans again with the 499P driven by Antonio Fuoco, Nicklas Nielsen, and Miguel Molina, before focusing on the Spanish Grand Prix, a world championship event that must represent a comeback for the Scuderia after the double retirement in the Canadian Grand Prix.

The team principal’s expectation is to reposition Ferrari where it deserves to be in a challenge measured in hundredths with Red Bull and McLaren: the Frenchman makes no promises of victory, knowing that on paper, the Montmeló track suits the Red Bull RB20 single-seater, but he does not hide the ambition of going to Catalunya to bring home important points.

“In the Spanish Grand Prix, we want to return to the levels of competitiveness that we have always had so far this season. The team has learned from what happened in Canada, and I believe we have already turned the page. We need to work calmly and focus on ourselves, spurred on by the fantastic result achieved by our colleagues at Ferrari Hypercar at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where they won for the second year in a row.” – the French manager pointed out ahead of the Barcelona weekend.

The disappointment of Montreal has been archived as an episode to forget: Ferrari looks to Barcelona with confidence, knowing it can bring out the best in itself. “The Spanish circuit is a testing ground for the entire car package, and we expect to regain our usual form here. That said, almost always this season, we have seen a battle measured in hundredths both in qualifying and in the race, so it will be crucial to take care of every detail.” – the French manager continued.

Fred Vasseur emphasizes that the next Grand Prix represents Carlos Sainz’s home race, which will provide extra motivation for him. “The team must remain super focused because only with perfect execution on track can we reach where we want and know we can be. It is Carlos’s home race, and I am sure that the support of an extra number of fans will be an additional boost of confidence for him. We are looking forward to an intense weekend in which we aim to bring home many points.” – the Ferrari team principal continued.

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Ahead of the next round of the 2024 Formula 1 championship, the Canadian Grand Prix, there are now 31 points separating Max Verstappen from Charles Leclerc in the drivers’ standings, which means a victory and a bit more advantage for the world champion, but more importantly, Red Bull leads Ferrari by 34 points in the Constructors’ standings.

Beyond Monaco: The SF-24 is Limited in Slow Sectors Due to a Compromise Choice

The Monaco weekend showed us that Ferrari and McLaren were on a similar level at this stage of the season, with Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri making the difference with their performance in the qualifying laps on Saturday. It’s important not to underestimate the strength of the MCL38 single-seater on the streets of Monaco, as the data relating to the ideal lap time shows that Oscar Piastri could have been on pole position and Lando Norris in third place, based on their best overall sectors, ahead of the respective SF-24 cars of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. Important signs of improvement in slow sections for the car of the team led by Andrea Stella had already appeared in the Miami Grand Prix, but it’s interesting that the McLaren team principal stated the improvements exceeded expectations in the Principality.

However, it’s understood that the Monaco track is entirely atypical, pushing the upper limits of technical characteristics and not requiring significant setup compromises. The most crucial factor is how well a car can be optimized for highly aggressive and different technical demands compared to what other circuits on the Formula 1 calendar usually require. The car needs to operate with the softest possible setup for bumps, curbs, and high traction, combined with a high downforce package. The SF-24 proved to be highly competitive in the extremely slow urban sections of the Principality, significantly countering the performances shown earlier in the season, where it had been more brilliant in medium and high-speed sections rather than in slow ones.

With these new-generation cars, it is very challenging to find a balance that ensures the car performs well at any speed and in any situation. For example, Red Bull continues to struggle on street circuits and generally on bumpy surfaces. According to an Alpine technician, this is because their car has a very stiff rear suspension in order to maintain a stable aerodynamic platform. This compromise allows them to maximize performance at most races while sacrificing a few others.

Regarding Scuderia Ferrari, the SF-24 is not a car that lacks speed in slow sections, as Monaco demonstrated. Instead, it’s the compromise that limits it because on other tracks, the focus is often on high-speed performance, where it’s crucial not to slide in order to avoid tire wear. Last year, the SF-23 struggled significantly in high-speed sections, and tire management was far from optimal, which did not allow Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz to push in the race, with the two Ferrari drivers often losing positions following a good performance in the qualifying session on Saturday.

At this stage we should also focus on a topic that has been highly discussed by the media in the last few weeks, namely Ferrari’s battery deployment. There is no problem for the Maranello team in this regard, it’s just a different energy management strategy used by the Ferrari technicians.

On the SF-24, the slow sections are partially sacrificed, even mechanically, relying on an extra contribution from the hybrid system that uses more energy during acceleration phases rather than in the last few hundred meters of the straights. This is what led to Charles Leclerc‘s post-qualifying complaint in Imola, when he mentioned that Red Bull and McLaren do something strange with their engine strategy.

On the other hand, the updates introduced at the Imola circuit slightly shifted the aerodynamic map of the SF-24 car, helping the Italian car at low speeds. However, in Monaco, it was not just a matter of updates. The key difference was the SF-24’s excellent setup window, which, unlike the Red Bull RB20, managed to meet the extreme technical demands of the Monaco circuit. Therefore it’s not true that the car from Maranello is weak in slow sections; it’s simply that Ferrari doesn’t believe this is where they can maximize lap time, especially during the race, on specific type of track layouts, as explained by F1 journalist Piergiuseppe Donadoni for formu1a.uno.

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Let’s take a look at the top sector times and the ideal ideal lap times based on data collected from the final free practice session for the 2024 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which was held earlier today at the Jeddah Circuit:

Here is how the teams ranked through each sector during Free Practice 3 for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix:

Source: LightsOutF1Blog

Now let’s take a look at the top ten sector times and ideal lap times from the final free practice session for the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix:

Source: LightsOutF1Blog

And a lap time comparison, Saudi Arabian GP FP3, 2024 vs 2023:

-1.225s RB
-0.980s Ferrari
-0.719s McLaren
-0.604s Mercedes
-0.448s Haas
-0.445s Aston Martin
-0.175s Williams
-0.155s Alpine
-0.073s Red Bull
+0.166s Sauber

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