Ferrari limited by front-end issues in qualifying at Lusail | F1 Qatar GP qualifying review

11/30/2024 04:31 PM

A Sprint Race for Ferrari that confirms what was seen in qualifying, namely that the 2024 Formula 1 season is heavily “dependent” on tires. A sort of “Tire Formula” that nullifies most other factors. This is because those who cannot optimize tire usage lose much of their inherent competitiveness. Performance drops drastically, in short. This is exactly what has happened to the Maranello team so far, both in qualifying and in the 100 kilometer mini-race on Saturday. During the session that determined the grid, the target temperature was never reached, and consequently, the grip was insufficient.

In today’s race, it took at least seven laps to stabilize tire temperatures. This is the brief and unfortunate summary that plainly explains Ferrari’s debacle, just when they needed to take an additional competitive step and believe in it to the end. “Let's give it our all,” Fred Vasseur had said. It’s not to make irony, but perhaps it would have been better to focus more on technical factors rather than getting caught up in the excitement of seeing an SF-24 that flew on paper. Ferrari has a chance to redeem itself; let’s see if they prove they can learn from their mistakes.

Lastly, a fact based on telemetry data: we can clearly see how Charles Leclerc was forced to perform significant lift-and-coast in every single corner: in turn 1, he lifts about 100 meters before the braking point, relying on engine braking; in turn 4, another 50 meters earlier; in long sweeping corners, which until that point he had been taking flat-out, unique in the grid, we notice how he completely lifts off the throttle and uses higher gears to lower the RPM, allowing the engine to “breathe.”

Officially, the issue concerning Charles Leclerc‘s presumed problem was fuel-related. But based on our experience, there was something more behind it. We hope the Maranello technicians have managed to overcome this worrying default. Before starting the narrative, let us look at the environmental conditions here in Losail: air temperature 19.3°C, track temperature 22.4°C. Humidity quite high at 61%, with wind intensity of 1.7 kilometers per hour blowing from the north.

Now let’s take a detailed look at how events unfolded for the two Ferrari drivers in the qualifying session for the Qatar Grand Prix.

Everything is ready; we are just waiting for the green light. In a few minutes, we will discover if Ferrari has made progress with the tires.

For this first Q1 run, both cars from Maranello went out on track with red-banded Pirelli tires. Ferrari, like the rest of the teams, wants to properly study how to make the compounds work, immediately trying the used Softs. Charles seems much more relaxed compared to yesterday. Still in the pit lane, he asks for various pieces of information related to his track position. Sainz does not complete the lap. He prefers to return to the garage to make an adjustment to the front wing. On the other hand, Leclerc crosses the line. Overall, the balance seems fairly good. Understeer appears minimized.

With the new tires about to be fitted, the front-end load will once again be adjusted. The two Ferraris do not enter the garage but stop in the pit box to have brand-new red-banded Pirellis mounted. Engine settings, particularly the hybrid component, specifically the ERS, are also adjusted to make the power recovered from the motor generators more efficient. It’s interesting to note how the out-laps are very fast, aiming to apply the right amount of energy to the tire and achieve good grip.

Finally, the lap times seem competitive, with both Ferrari drivers within a tenth of the top. A double cooldown follows, during which Adami and Bozzi provide a seemingly endless stream of advice on handling and mappings to improve performance. On the second attempt, Leclerc moves into second position, followed by Sainz. This Q1 gives hope, as there were no issues reaching and maintaining the target temperatures throughout the lap. We await more significant results in the next qualifying phase, where things will get serious.

The pit stop is brief. Sainz is the first Ferrari driver back on track, followed by his teammate a minute later. Both are still on used Soft tires. The chosen balance seems functional but comes with a slight lack of rotation, noticeable especially in Sector 2, where hitting the apex perfectly is never easy. However, this setup seems manageable so far. Once again, the lap to warm up the tires is quicker than usual.

On the final corner, the push mode is engaged, and they go flat out. The attempt is decent, although the used tires obviously don't offer optimal grip. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz quickly return to the pit box and are brought into the garage. Brand-new red-banded Pirellis are fitted. The Monegasque driver notes that he made a mistake in the last corner, costing him at least a tenth and a half in performance. They head back onto the Qatari track surface for this final Q2 run, which is both important and decisive.

Once again, the out-lap is aggressive, with multiple changes to the power unit mappings. The target lap time to advance is set at 21.1 seconds, requiring a three-tenths improvement over the previous laps. Sainz does not improve, reporting struggles with the front-end. Charles, however, hits the target. Both drivers do a cooldown lap and go again. This time, Carlos Sainz improves and advances, as does Charles Leclerc. However, limitations remain, as the setup tweaks don't seem to have resolved them.

When we speak of “main limitation,” we refer to the front-end management. In medium-speed corner entries, the Ferraris' front end lacks precision. This forces the drivers to “round out” the curves, losing time. Moreover, although the target temperatures are more consistent than yesterday, they are still not ideal. In some cases, a discrepancy between the two axles was also observed, which certainly doesn't help.

We arrive at Q3, the final and crucial phase of this qualifying session. The two SF-24 single-seaters leave the pit lane, now on fresh Soft tires. Warm-up mode is activated to help the tires come to life, with engineers emphasizing preparation of the front axle. This time, the out-lap is slower, a deliberate move based on Q2 feedback. Charles Leclerc delivers a clean lap with no errors. Carlos Sainz also avoids mistakes but is slower. The balance appears generally better, indicating that the less aggressive warm-up strategy worked.

The two Ferrari cars return to the pits, awaiting the final run. A minute later, they head back out with their last set of new Softs. The track evolution is significant and must be exploited to the fullest. The SF-24 cars choose a more cautious activation lap again, using heavy steering zigzags to bring the front end up to temperature. Both Ferraris deliver their best but fall short of the McLarens. The Monegasque is about 80 milliseconds behind the MCL38s, while Carlos Sainz trails by two-tenths. Max Verstappen impressively secures pole by just 55 milliseconds over Russell.

The result, once again, is unsatisfactory. Compared to yesterday, although tire management has improved significantly, grid positions are even worse. The Maranello team attempted to adjust the car balance. While they better understood the tires, this also reduced the car's performance. The Ferrari drivers are not as disappointed or angry as they were on Friday, as they believe they extracted the maximum today. They made this clear over the radio. Tomorrow's race, at a distance of 300 kilometers, offers a chance for recovery, which is not impossible.

— see video above —

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