The Ferrari SF-24 was underwhelming in Spain, being relegated to the fourth-fastest car. After a poor weekend in Canada, Ferrari hoped to bounce back with fresh updates. However, this was not to be. “The hierarchies change every weekend when you are so close. With Mercedes, now we have four teams within two-tenths,” commented team principal Fred Vassuer.
Leclerc narrowly missed out on overtaking George Russell in the final laps. Regardless, though, Ferrari’s finishing positions of P5 and P6 reflected their pace last weekend.
FERRARI FOURTH FASTEST IN SPAIN: THE SF-24 UNDERPERFORMED DUE TO BOUNCING.
Ferrari brought a fresh upgrade package to Spanish soil, a decision that was taken after Canada. These updates continued the improvements first brought to Imola. Bringing these upgrades ahead of schedule was an effort to keep up with Red Bull and McLaren.
Ferrari’s poor showing in Spain can be partly attributed to poor work in Free Practice. The SF-24 also struggled to take a step forward in qualifying. Among the top teams, Ferrari once again had the smallest performance difference between FP3 and qualifying.
The time differential for the Prancing Horse was 1.2 seconds. For comparison, Verstappen’s difference was 1.6, while the difference for McLaren and Mercedes was 1.4.
From the information gathered, the update package (including the new floor) correlated very well. The updates overall, therefore, produced a positive outcome in terms of the load and downforce.
Finding more aerodynamic load was one of the objectives set for the technical team led by Enrico Cardile. This goal was also tied with trying to generate more heat into the SF-24’s cars.
Comparison of the old and new Ferrari bottom in the area of the Venturi entrances – the floor fence and the roof of the inlets have been revised
In Spain, set-up compromises again impacted the SF-24. The SF-24’s extra load triggered unpleasant bouncing, which both drivers complained about.
Ferrari intervened before the parc fermé to change this, sacrificing performance due to the bouncing. This explains why the Italian squad fell short of expectations in Spain.
FERRARI NOW FOCUS ON OPTIMISING THEIR UPDATES
“It will certainly be better in Austria. It is a track that suits us, and the format with the Sprint is always an important variable,” said Vassuer about the Spielberg circuit.
After a victory in Monaco, Canada and Spain have been disappointing races for the Scuderia. Ferrari could have a less problematic weekend in Austria with a layout that rewards efficiency and traction. This partly explains the Ferrari team principal’s optimism.
Although the Italian team performed better than last year, the SF-24’s pace in Barcelona was a setback. From this point of view, the layout of the Red Bull Ring, being a predominantly stop-and-go track, should be better suited.
Ferrari confirms itself as a solid car in traction, a characteristic it carries over from previous years.
At the moment, McLaren is the team with the highest level of performance across different conditions. Of course, Enrico Cardile (who has accepted Aston Martin’s offer) approved Ferrari to fast-track the updates first intended for Silverstone to Spain.
McLaren and Mercedes introduced no new components in Barcelona, while Red Bull brought a significant package.
Therefore, it is reasonable to expect Ferrari’s rivals to bring updates at the British GP.
