Here are the technical innovations brought by Ferrari and McLaren to the 2024 Miami Grand Prix
May 4, 2024
Lto Formula 1having definitively ended the seventh break after the race in China, finally returned to the track for the sixth round of the season, the Miami Grand Prix 2024. For the second time in a row we will have a weekend with Sprint format to dictate the very limited times in the paddock set up inside the Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium. Precisely because of this excited schedule many teams have decided to postpone the update packages until the next appointmentor the Grand Prix of Imola. However, McLaren preferred to take a risk by bringing a completely revised single-seater onto the track as regards Lando Norris, while only 50% for Oscar Piastri. Instead, we went there with leaden feet Scuderia Ferrari which has minimally modified some conformations of the SF-24 by Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
THEThe Maranello team didn’t start the Miami weekend in the best way with Charles Leclerc who completely missed the first and only free practice session. The Monegasque has lost control of his car, extraordinarily colored blue to celebrate seventy years of Ferrari on the American market, at the passage of curve 16 in the third sector. Issue #16, after the spintried to get back on track properly but the clutch overheating forced him to get out of the car and skip FP1 while observing the work of teammate Carlos Sainz at the back of the garage. However, despite this hitch, Leclerc took the front row in the Sprint thus starting alongside poleman Max Verstappen. Further back, however, he will start Carlos Sainzonly fifth with Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo dividing him from the Monegasque. Scuderia Ferrari has decided not to bring major updates to Miami due to the Sprint format, postponing everything to Imolawhich will take place in two weeks. Analyzing the two SF-24s carefully, however, we notice that there are some innovations, especially at the rear, where an aerodynamic element has been removed. We are in fact talking about second flap positioned under the rear wing on the sides of the central exhaust. In this way they managed to reduce aerodynamic resistance and the load on the car to the advantage of greater speed on straight stretches.
Images created by Gabriele Pirovano
TOd having risked it was the McLaren which he brought on the car of Lando Norris a substantial package of updates, while on Oscar Piastri only 50% waiting for the remainder which should be ready for Imola. The MCL38 has been revised in many areas such as the front wing, the radiator vents, the bonnet and covers on the front and rear suspensions. In particular, we focus on the nnew air inlets to the radiatorswhich are now approaching concept used by Red Bull. The upper lip that divides the air flows above and below the bellies has been increased in volume, longer and larger. This allowed a greater flow of air towards the bottom of the car; consequentially the air vents on the radiators have been made smaller and still remain square and vertical. The technical innovations brought by the world champions from Milton Keynes to the RB20, the latest single-seater designed by Adrian Newey, surprised all the teams and many will now follow this design which we will also see on Ferrari. These updates highlighted a very strong McLaren in Shootout qualifying, particularly in the first two sessions on medium tyres. Once the soft tires were then fitted, the performances of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri collapsed. In fact, the Briton will only leave ninth despite having set a time significantly lower than Verstappen’s pole in SQ2; the Australian who will sprint is better sixth.
Images created by Gabriele Pirovano
