Ferrari’s Performance Dilemma – A Step Back to Move Forward
Ferrari’s Formula 1 duo, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, have reverted to their Imola-spec parts in an effort to rectify their recent performance issues. The Italian team introduced two major upgrade packages this season, one at Imola and another at Barcelona, aiming to maintain a steady pace of adding performance to the car. While the Imola upgrades showed promise, allowing Ferrari to win the Monaco Grand Prix, the Spain package exposed and exacerbated a bouncing issue that has plagued the team.
In an effort to comprehend the root cause, Ferrari has opted to return their cars to the configuration they had during the Imola weekend. This move was made to gather data and reduce the bouncing produced by the car as the floor builds downforce. Although the issue still persists, the drivers believe that this decision has helped mitigate some of the bouncing.
Leclerc expressed his concerns, stating, “We’ve lost some performance since Monaco… We are looking into it. That’s also why we are doing all these tests.” The Monegasque driver emphasized the importance of finding the right balance and performance, which Ferrari has struggled to achieve in recent races.
“We need to make the car as consistent or as predictable as possible in the high speed, knowing that obviously we’re not going forward so backwards, we’re just making the car a bit more consistent.” – Carlos Sainz
Ferrari’s struggles to get a foot in the weekend, much like they did in Canada’s changeable conditions, suggest that the SF-24 is challenging to optimize when three practice sessions in similar conditions are not available. Leclerc noted that Ferrari is “struggling to optimise the weekend, but I think that it will help us long-term.“
Sainz, on the other hand, believes that reverting to the Imola upgrades has provided a more stable platform in the higher-speed areas around Silverstone, compared to his experience of the car at Barcelona. However, this raises further questions, and Ferrari now needs to explain why their latest updates are provoking more bouncing.
In conclusion, Ferrari’s decision to revert to their Imola-spec parts is a step back in an effort to move forward. As Sainz rightly put it, “We need to make the car as consistent or as predictable as possible in the high speed, knowing that obviously we’re not going forward so backwards, we’re just making the car a bit more consistent.” As the Formula 1 calendar progresses, Ferrari will need to find a solution to their performance issues to remain competitive in the championship.
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