The Las Vegas occasion marks an necessary crossroads for the 2024 season, with the World Championship battle between drivers and constructors. Whereas Verstappen is aiming for his fourth title and Ferrari for the Constructors’ Championship, each element counts. Nonetheless, it was Mercedes that stunned by dominating the primary day of exercise. Regardless of this, Ferrari and McLaren’s potential is excessive, as proven by the telemetry evaluation of the FP2 session in Las Vegas.
The troublesome situations in Las Vegas considerably masked the true efficiency of McLaren and Ferrari. Attributable to a inexperienced monitor and chilly temperatures, the tire compounds struggled to succeed in the right working window. To handle this subject, the drivers needed to make a number of preparation laps. The clearest instance is Charles Leclerc, who, on his fourth flying lap, with a number of gas onboard, posted a S1 time that was simply 60 thousandths slower in comparison with Hamilton.
Flip 3, the just about non-turn
The acceleration and velocity graphs present a efficiency benefit for Mercedes. Right here, the W15, aided by the chilly and low grip supplied by the monitor, was capable of extract the utmost from the tires. McLaren and Ferrari, with an unready entrance finish, have been pressured to partially raise off the throttle to keep away from widening their trajectory. A distinct story for Mercedes, which managed to hold 5/6 km/h extra with out disturbing the W15. That is evident within the method to Flip 4, the place Mercedes was the primary to get on the throttle, in contrast to McLaren and Ferrari. The SF-24 additionally approaches the nook in a different way, struggling barely from understeer. Nothing too troublesome to repair with slight fine-tuning and higher tire preparation.
Beneath the Sphere’s gaze
The gradual part below the sphere showcases the wonderful mechanical grip of the SF-24. In sectors 7-8-9, Charles Leclerc’s automobile reaches the very best Vmax within the 8-9 part. With the nice braking of the SF-24, Charles Leclerc manages to cease the automobile properly, rotate it at Flip 9, and speed up completely to deal with the straight resulting in Flip 10.
Telemetry Evaluation Flip 12 Las Vegas
Flip 12 is among the most vital factors for making ready an overtaking maneuver on the Las Vegas circuit. The over 2 km lengthy straight permits drivers to aim overtakes on their opponents. Right here, glorious prime velocity and environment friendly DRS are clearly important. Regardless of the ultra-low downforce setup, the wings function a movable flap that creates a major impact.
Nonetheless, to benefit from the Energy Unit and aerodynamic effectivity, it’s essential to exit Flip 12 properly. Within the acceleration comparability, Ferrari comes out on prime, because it manages to generate a considerably larger traction coefficient than Mercedes and McLaren. That is accentuated by Charles Leclerc’s capability to hold extra velocity by delaying his nook exit. This can be a very constructive signal for the SF-24’s mechanical traction, mixed with a well-designed hybrid deployment technique for the two km straight.
Supply: f1ingenerale