Ferrari were much higher on the timing sheets in Hungary FP1 and FP2 than in previous events. Fitted with a new floor and racing at a track that rarely creates bouncing, the SF-24 has shown promising signs on low-fuel runs. However, there are concerns about Ferrari’s long-run pace.
The last two months have been a wake-up call for Ferrari, whose development trajectory has flatlined. Fred Vasseur’s engineers are yet to fully rectify the ultimately failed upgrades brought to the Spanish GP.
Although the team is working on solutions, there is still a long way to go.
A track like the Hungaroring is, on paper, well-suited to the SF-24. Therefore, should Ferrari struggle to perform this weekend, it would ring alarm bells for later in the season.
So far, there is clear potential mixed with uncertainty in Hungary. Team principal Fred Vasseur explained the situation:
“The pace on the flying lap was good in FP1. While in the afternoon, in the long runs, we had more difficulties. Also because we only had one car and we couldn’t make comparisons.
“We also need to understand how much to push in the first two laps of the stint, so it’s difficult to draw conclusions. At least on the flying lap, we’re doing well. We’ve made a clear step forward compared to last week and compared to Austria.
“But you can never say that it’s [bouncing] fixed for the rest of the season. We need to keep our attention on the bouncing problem.
“We hope to have a good FP3. The temperature could be similar to today, and that could be a problem for the race.
“Because with this heat, there will be more degradation than usual. We should not just focus on qualifying because we can also do something in the race.”
There will be plenty of competition for Ferrari at the front this weekend.
Max Verstappen and Lando Norris set the fastest times on Friday and also showed the best performance in race simulations.
Mercedes are also within striking distance, especially if track conditions become cooler on Saturday and Sunday.
Ultimately, Ferrari must optimise their package if they want to contend at the front.
