F1, Ferrari: the 5 millimeters that compromised SF-24 pace due to Enrico Cardile mistake
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The Scuderia Ferrari engineers and technicians are working tirelessly to bring further updates for the SF-24 car in the United States Grand Prix, round number 18 of the 2024 Formula 1 season, which is scheduled to take place at the 5.513-kilometre Circuit of The Americas in Austin on Sunday, October 20. We are talking about updates that won't revolutionize the car but should further enhance its performance. This is the estimated goal following the latest update that the Prancing Horse introduced in the Singapore Grand Prix last weekend. Specifically, we are referring to the front wing, which is currently approved, pending more substantial feedback. The Circuit of The Americas will be the right scenario for this, considering that its layout offers a "classic" track where data collection can be more effective.
Unfortunately, at this stage of the 2024 Formula 1 season, it is clear that the Maranello team won't win anything this year either. A sad, harsh statement, but quite fair. This is despite six Grands Prix remaining, including three Sprint Races, a context that will give drivers the chance to score some extra points. On the other hand, Carlos Sainz is eager to test the effectiveness of the latest SF-24 update in Texas. He has no idea how it will perform, and the same goes for the Maranello team, which is waiting for confirmation at the United States Grand Prix stage. The new wing on the red car features a complete redesign of the additional profiles.
As per the regulations, it is important to note that a maximum of four profiles is allowed in that section, where, near the nose, there is an increase in the incidence of these elements. We are talking about components that represent the main area responsible for generating the aerodynamic load of the wing. On the other hand, in the more external portions, the engineers have chosen to reduce the vertical thrust produced to favor the outwash effect, which is essential for diverting airflows laterally and keeping the ones disturbed by the tire's rolling turbulence clean.
Additionally, the mainplane appears to be lower in the central part. A choice that allows for clean airflow towards the entry section of the car's floor, improving its overall efficiency. It should also be emphasized that these changes weren't a "simple" adaptation to the high-downforce Singapore circuit but rather represent a true evolutionary step. Ferrari is striving to perfect and make the floor work more efficiently, a key element that must be optimized by stabilizing the airflow passing through it.
Scuderia Ferrari made a serious mistake with the technical department led by Italian aerodynamicist Enrico Cardile. A misstep that completely compromised the championship from the Spanish Grand Prix until the summer break. Two months during which the red car understood nothing and performed very poorly. Moreover, it had to spend time and part of the budget cap in order to correct the situation and return on the right development path. An annoying scenario that also happened to Red Bull, Mercedes, and Aston Martin. Among the top teams, the only one not to make a mistake was McLaren. The reasons are much simpler than one might think and refer to hypothetical assumptions.
The simulator and wind tunnel are crucial tools in this modern Formula 1 world, which is now lacking in on-track testing. Those who use them well gain great benefits. Ferrari lost the correct working point of the car because former Ferrari technical director Enrico Cardile validated an incorrect assumption. The responsibility falls largely on him as the chief technical officer. That's how it works in big companies, let alone in the top tier of motorsport. The anomalies emerged, and the Italian team had to bow to the situation. Jock Clear, who has been explaining the problems of the red car for some time now, spoke about this.
The English senior performance engineer, after years as a track engineer, is now dedicated to other tasks. One of these is talking to the press to provide explanations about problems, delays, mistakes, and more. The former race engineer of Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari’s last world champion back in 2007, tells us that the engineers at the Prancing Horse, every week during the championship, try to think of something new. They do this to fuel the growth process, which, according to him, is currently at the top of its form in every section of the team.
Strong comments that will need confirmation on the track in just a few weeks. On the other hand, as Jock Clear himself said, despite the belief that they have embarked on a positive path, far from the erroneous one under Enrico Cardile's direction, slipping back into the tunnel can happen in an instant. In fact, the Italian team expects it to happen again, as it is not excluded that it could occur once more. Ferrari is updating the wind tunnel precisely for this reason. A modification to make the facility capable of reproducing a more realistic context, better able to evaluate the roughness of the track surface.
The goal is to reduce the margin of error, which will still always be present when simulating the car's "impact" on bumps and curbs. Perfect correlation does not exist, but the main target is to get the matching percentage as close to 100% as possible. Wing cars work with the ground effect produced by the Venturi channels. Each team has designed the floor to make it work optimally at certain heights from the ground. When the estimated optimal value cannot be used, problems arise in generating the correct aerodynamic load.
Moreover, it is equally important that the vertical thrust is constant in all phases of the vehicle's motion, where, of course, the floor undergoes various oscillations. If the macro component does not work properly and cannot absorb these differences in ride height while the car is on track, instability occurs and compromises the handling of the car. This is what happened to Ferrari, as even a difference of just 5 millimeters, as Jock Clear reiterated, can be the value that separates a car that works and can fight for race victories from one that loses grip and is forced to slow down.
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