Ferrari might have completed higher within the Dash qualifying session for the twenty-first spherical of the 2024 System 1 championship. However, the primary free apply session for the Brazilian Grand Prix didn’t but present completely clear indications of the true area efficiency. The purple staff appeared to wrestle a bit on a observe 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, making an attempt to regulate the experience peak. Counting on newly resurfaced asphalt, the Maranello staff selected a experience peak that was too low, inflicting the SF-24 to bounce excessively and develop into 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 staff appeared to nail the setup proper from the beginning, thanks to higher simulator correlation. Purple 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 may be seen by analyzing the telemetry knowledge from FP1, every driver ran with completely different gas masses, 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 knowledge 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 observe. F1 groups can predict the primary race’s development based mostly on Saturday’s knowledge. Though racing with a couple of third of the gas tank, these predictions give an correct image of full-tank efficiency. These fashions can forecast tire degradation, pressure, and preferrred technique, regardless of not testing with excessive gas masses. Returning to the figures, Ferrari as soon as once more proves sturdy in race tempo.
Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc have 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 observe to carry out their high-fuel simulation. In contrast to their opponents, the 2 drivers from the German staff devoted the central a part of the apply session to fast-lap simulation. Solely within the last a part of the only 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 laborious to find out the gas load carried by George and Lewis, who might have chosen to half-fill their tanks to organize for each the Dash Race and the common Sunday race. George Russell was shedding nearly a second per lap to Carlos Sainz, though he was three-tenths quicker than Hamilton.
Verstappen accomplished the longest simulation among the many high drivers, beginning with a heavy gas load. This allowed him, in his Purple Bull RB20, to finish 14 laps. The reigning F1 world champion break up the race tempo take a look at in two elements, 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 observe and entrance graining diminished 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 stop a rise in lap occasions early within the stint. Purple Bull confirmed the current difficulties they’ve confronted in race tempo, which is why the Austrian staff 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, because of 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 exhibiting extreme put on. The preliminary laps with a excessive gas load confirmed the SF-24’s aggressive rhythm and tire administration.
Nonetheless, circumstances different among the many vehicles, and solely right this moment’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 vehicles and proceed chasing the constructors’ championship dream.
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