Ferrari might have completed higher within the Dash qualifying session for the twenty-first spherical of the 2024 Components 1 championship. Then again, the primary free apply session for the Brazilian Grand Prix didn’t but present fully clear indications of the true subject efficiency. The pink workforce appeared to battle a bit on a monitor that doesn’t spotlight its strengths and needed to make a number of changes to the setup. Ferrari’s mechanics labored on each the entrance and rear, trying to regulate the trip top. Counting on newly resurfaced asphalt, the Maranello workforce selected a trip top that was too low, inflicting the SF-24 to bounce excessively and grow to be unstable.
Moreover, it appeared the Italian automobile lacked an ideal connection between the 2 axles, forcing the drivers into corrections that successfully restricted their lap occasions. McLaren, however, accomplished the primary free apply session with the quickest occasions. The Woking workforce appeared to nail the setup proper from the beginning, thanks to higher simulator correlation. Crimson Bull primarily centered on race tempo, with Max Verstappen finishing over ten laps with a excessive gas load.
F1, Brazil GP: Verstappen offers with degradation whereas simulating Sunday’s race
As will be seen by analyzing the telemetry information from FP1, every driver ran with completely different gas hundreds, simulating both the Dash Race or race tempo. The 2 Ferrari drivers and Lando Norris opted for a simulation with low gas. The groups competing for the constructors’ championship selected to make use of the few out there laps to maximise efficiency for Saturday’s brief race. Solely with information from the Dash Race will the setup be adjusted for the Sunday race. On this “adaptation” course of, allowed by the parc fermé guidelines, all groups use mathematical fashions.
These fashions are based mostly on the huge quantity of information collected all through the season, adjusted for the Interlagos monitor. F1 groups can predict the primary race’s development based mostly on Saturday’s information. Though racing with a few third of the gas tank, these predictions give an correct image of full-tank efficiency. These fashions can forecast tire degradation, pressure, and best technique, regardless of not testing with excessive gas hundreds. Returning to the figures, Ferrari as soon as once more proves robust in race tempo.
Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc had been a number of tenths quicker than Lando Norris, who has a automobile with higher stability over a single lap. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell benefited from the extra rubbered-in monitor to carry out their high-fuel simulation. In contrast to their opponents, the 2 drivers from the German workforce devoted the central a part of the apply session to fast-lap simulation. Solely within the remaining a part of the one apply session of the Brazilian weekend did Mercedes full 10 laps every with their drivers.
Furthermore, George Russell, along with utilizing the higher tire compound, additionally had a more energizing set in comparison with his teammate. Lewis Hamilton accomplished the apply utilizing just one set of medium tires, on which he accomplished 30 laps. Regardless of this, it’s onerous to find out the gas load carried by George and Lewis, who could have chosen to half-fill their tanks to arrange for each the Dash Race and the common Sunday race. George Russell was dropping virtually a second per lap to Carlos Sainz, though he was three-tenths quicker than Hamilton.
Verstappen accomplished the longest simulation among the many prime drivers, beginning with a heavy gas load. This allowed him, in his Crimson Bull RB20, to finish 14 laps. The reigning F1 world champion cut up the race tempo check in two components, initially testing for Sunday’s race after which adjusting for the Dash Race. Max adjusted the steering wheel settings for elevated energy output. After lap 10, Verstappen accomplished three laps below 1:15 to simulate, as instructed from the pit wall, Saturday’s 100 km mini-race.
As for tire degradation, it was noticed that the abrasion from the newly resurfaced monitor and entrance graining lowered tire grip. Verstappen appeared to deal with degradation finest with two completely different automobile setups. Nevertheless, it’s value noting that within the first seven laps, the world champion couldn’t forestall a rise in lap occasions early within the stint. Crimson Bull confirmed the latest difficulties they’ve confronted in race tempo, which is why the Austrian workforce primarily centered on simulating Sunday’s race.
In a aggressive situation the place Max will serve a five-place grid penalty, Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri demonstrated minimal tire degradation, due to efficient tire administration and completely different engine map settings to check extra automobile configurations. The lap occasions from Sainz and Russell remained regular, typically round their preliminary lap occasions, with out displaying extreme put on. The preliminary laps with a excessive gas load confirmed the SF-24’s aggressive rhythm and tire administration.
However, circumstances diverse among the many automobiles, and solely in the present day’s Dash Race will present extra dependable indications of the true efficiency variations. The Ferrari engineers might want to discover a compromise setup to enhance rear stability after the Dash, permitting the drivers to remain near McLaren in qualifying. Then, Leclerc and Sainz can use their stronger tempo to aim overtakes on the papaya automobiles and proceed chasing the constructors’ championship dream.
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