Let’s discover together the technical details that made the Ferrari SF-24 a competitive car and how the single-seater could change with the updates
March 28, 2024
Lto Ferrari SF-24, the Red car for the 2024 Formula 1 season certainly represents a big step forward compared to its predecessor, the SF-23. The latter was capricious, unpredictable in her reactions to external agents such as the wind and the dirty air of the car in front. She was also very quick in bringing the tires into the ideal usage window in qualifying, but in the race the downside of the coin was visible, with a marked degradation of the tyres. The SF-24 available to Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in the current world championship, however, it is a sincere, predictable car, malleable in the hands of the driversthe. And tire grip is significantly better.
MWhat is the competitiveness of the Ferrari SF-24 due to? Let’s see them in detail areas on which the Red Army intervened. First of all the aerodynamics have been improved, bringing great advantages to the single-seater. The mechanics and new suspensions have also made the red car more performing and effective on the track. The anti-intrusion cone, which has been lowered under the air inlet channels of the Venturi bottom, it allowed us to dig our bellies more on the bottom, improving all the aerodynamics and the air flows that flow along the sides.
On a mechanical level, the new shorter and narrower gearbox made it possible to increase the air flow of the rear slide, creating greater downforce. The front suspension, however, has been revised in the upper triangle. But it was above all the rear suspension that changed, with new kinematic mechanisms and new attachments that made the rear more stable, with more effective traction and better tire management, with less degradation on the track.
In Melbourne, Ferrari had the satisfaction of taking a double, facilitated by the retirement of Max Verstappen. But even if the Dutchman hadn’t suffered a very serious brake problem, Carlos Sainz would have played for the victory, given that the Red Bull on a track front-limited like the Australian one, it was heavily penalized by graining. Suzuka will offer an even clearer picture of the values on the field, but Ferrari is already working on updates to further refine the SF-24. We talk about modifications to the radiator outlets, which should become thinner in height and of less volume, and of interventions on the floor in the area in front of the rear wheels.
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