For the seventh round of the competitive campaign 2024 back to standard format from the F1. This means that technicians, drivers and engineers will have the usual three hours of free practice available to test the cars without too much haste. Which is why several teams have decided to bring updates. Ferrari will officially present the SF-24 EVOa car that has chosen the aggressive path by adopting the “shark inlet” of the stable of Milton Keynes. The team principal of the redhead Frederic Vasseur it was clear: “We have to risk more. Red Bull he always goes to the limit every weekend. If we want to reach them and win we have to change our mentality“.
Without a doubt the first technical step in this direction has been taken. There is an interesting background in this regard. Ferrari he had already studied this solution on paper before of the unveiling of February of RB20. He was able to do it thanks to the suggestion of some “minor technicians” recruited in January, coming from the reigning Austrian world champion team. A small advantage that the team located in Via Abetone Inferiore 4 was able to make the most of it. It remains to be understood, we will do it soon, if the approach is strongly desired by the technical department headed by Enrico Cardile will work properly, providing the step performance that the fans of prancing Horse they wait.
Obviously i competitor they are certainly not watching. TO You love me the stable of Woking presented its first evolution. A McLaren that thanks to his update showed great competitiveness a You love mesignificantly improving the fundamentals of MCL38. The aerodynamic efficiency problem has been eliminated, a worry that has been with us since last year, a very stable load that allows precise changes of direction and excellent speeds in the various types of curves. Also thanks to this Lando Norris he managed to win in Florida the first race of his career. Then there is Red Bull who feels the breath on his neck.
The colored car blue racing has already shown a upgrade to Suzuka. We refer to the modular cooling system to administer the power unit Honda RBPTH002. A necessary measure to fully exploit, in any competitive context, all the horsepower of the Japanese engine, as the radiator inlet sections located on the bellies are really small, so much so that the English have named them “letterbox“, drawing a parallel with the small slit in the mailboxes. For Imola there Red Bull should update it again RB20. News spoiled by himself Helmut Markofrom which the team he’s expecting a lot apparently. The Imola weekend promises to be really interesting, as it also Mercedes And Aston Martin will present some evolutions on the cars.
Layout: Mechanical compromise governs performance
The racetrack Enzo And Dino Ferrari will host an interesting battle, also keeping in mind the shape of the route that stands on the banks of the river Santerno. An old-fashioned track which for the occasion expands the areas with escape routes covered in gravel. We are talking about an aspect that should not be underestimated at all, a characteristic capable of enhancing the skill of the pilots. The asphalt has left room for the crushing of compact rock which will fill three curves from the edge of the track to the barriers: Piratella, Mineral Waters and the Gresini variant. Losing the car in these areas means potentially remaining stuck and consequently being forced to abandon the current session.
For this reason the risks taken will be decidedly greater. As regards the layout of the Italian track, first of all let’s talk about set-up. Bearing in mind the characteristics of the track, we know that a lot of vertical thrust is needed to achieve good performance in very demanding corners such as Tambourinethe Villeneuve and the aforementioned Piratella. Furthermore, the route shows low speed sections which suggest a set-up medium-high load, considering that the only real straight is the finish line, approximately 1.2 km long.
The Imola track is made up of 19 curves and extends for a total length of 4909 metres. There are 309,049 km necessary to cover in the race to cross the finish line, spread over a total of 63 laps. As opposed to You love me aerodynamic efficiency is not a dominant factor. As mentioned previously, the only high-speed section is on the main straight, the number one suspect for overtaking phases. This is why the classification session on Saturday takes on a decisive aspect, given that overtaking your opponents will not be easy in the only area DRS placed on the goal line.
Effectiveness of the mobile wing which therefore, taking into account the good level of downforce of the rear wing, will also be a decisive factor. The central aspect of the weekend will therefore be cornering performance. The first sector is essentially made up of a couple of chicanes, where the solidity of the front end regulates the competitiveness of the cars when changing direction. Suspension scheme which at the same time must guarantee the possibility of attacking the curbs, keeping the aerodynamic platform of the car stable. Anti-roll bars e damper they will have to provide the correct answers to optimize performance.
Another interesting point concerns the necessary traction at turn 7, the first corner of the T2hairpin that precedes the climb towards 9, where the ability to produce grip lateral through the load will make a lot of difference. A further crucial area concerns the triptych of folds that follow. The F1 they arrive at braking without steering wheel angle after having covered the 11th, and then move on to the change in slope of the 12th where the front is crucial for rapid insertion. Turn 13 is tackled fully by exploiting the aerodynamic suction generated by the channels Venturiwhere once again the ability to jump over curbs and acceleration will have a significant impact on the chronometric results.
Tuned mass damper (damper) which compresses quickly and then immediately “returns” the energy produced and limits the time in which the tires lose contact with the reference surface (asphalt). This is followed by two right-angle bends (90°) downhill, where the average travel speed favors an understeering tendency of the car. The last two corners of the track require precise calibrations brake scales and differential to limit the slip angle front, “facilitated” by the compounds that could be used overheating especially in qualifying.
This last topic makes us reflect on the importance of set-up mechanic who will have to find the correct rigidity to provide speed in changes of direction and at the same time the ability to fully exploit the traction of the single-seaters. All considering the aerodynamic interaction. Tire theme. Pirelli has decided to bring the softest range of the lot to Imolaone step greater performance compared to the last edition of 2022: C3 (Hard) C4 (Medium) and (C5 Soft). Element that could contribute to wear of the covers. Ultimately, keep an eye on the weather which, despite the month of May being late, predicts the possibility of rain over the course of the year weekend.
