Formula 1 News: Ferrari’s Development Struggles Continue as Floor Upgrade Falls Short
The 2024 Formula 1 season has been marked by a development war, with teams constantly bringing new updates to the track. However, not all changes have yielded the desired results, and Ferrari is the latest team to face the consequences of an upgrade turned downgrade.
The Maranello-based team introduced a new floor at the Spanish Grand Prix, which delivered more downforce, especially in low-speed corners. However, it also triggered the return of bouncing in fast turns, a problem that has hampered the squad in recent races.
At the British Grand Prix, Ferrari conducted a floor comparison across both cars to determine which solution was best. In the end, they opted to roll back their floor to the Imola spec, a move that proved beneficial for the Silverstone weekend. Nevertheless, the team knows it needs a more permanent solution moving forward.
“Understanding why the new parts are not performing as expected is crucial,” said Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur. He draws parallels with a similar situation the team faced last year, where updates were not delivering as hoped. The breakthrough came at the Dutch Grand Prix, where Ferrari sacrificed their weekend preparations to focus on car experiments.
Vasseur is confident that the team can turn things around, citing their ability to bring improvements to their car in the past. He acknowledges that the current situation is challenging, particularly with the lack of testing opportunities. However, he believes that Ferrari will bounce back, and it’s only a matter of producing new parts that eradicate the bouncing.
The focus for the team now is to get to the bottom of why things have happened. They will take the next few days to decide on a course of action for the next race in Hungary. While the floor issues have put Ferrari in a tricky spot, Vasseur is adamant that the situation is not one to be too alarmed by, and history shows that the team has had a good grip on bringing improvements to their car.
In the world of Formula 1, time is of the essence, and losing it can be a significant setback. James Allison, Mercedes technical director, highlighted the importance of trusting one’s tools and avoiding the consequences of an ‘upgrade’ turning into a ‘downgrade.’ Ferrari will be keen to learn from their mistakes and get back to their winning ways as the season unfolds.
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