Ferrari: new SF-24 front wing has been redesigned in components with focus on flexibility
Today at 03:10 PM
Ferrari arrives at the 4.94-kilometre Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore aiming to strike back after the missed opportunity in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the Baku city circuit. The Marina Bay circuit suits the characteristics of the SF-24 well, with many slow corners, traction phases, and straights, combined with one drag reduction system zone. The cars will revert to higher downforce setups, leaving behind the medium-low wing range seen in Monza and Azerbaijan. The Singapore night event will also be an event where tire management during the race could be a key factor, but it’s especially important to perform well in the Qualifying session in order to secure good grid positions for Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix. The Maranello technicians and engineers have also pushed forward with developments, introducing a new front wing that was originally planned for the Austin Grand Prix after the break, but they've fitted it to the SF-24 starting from Thursday.
In Maranello, the engineers led by Diego Tondi have worked extensively on the design of the new front wing which has been introduced this weekend in Singapore. It's easy to identify the new specification because it differs from the old wing, having been modified in several areas. First of all, the design of the main plane has been altered, and there is now a more pronounced spoon shape in the central area compared to the previous version. The goal is to create a central airflow under the nose to channel air toward the lower part of the floor, directing that flow to the entrance of the Venturi channels.
However, the changes also involve the design of the flaps that make up the front wing. Scuderia Ferrari's engineers aimed for a greater upwash effect in the central area of the flap, followed by a sharp drop-off toward the outer section to enhance the outwash effect of the wing. Interestingly, this solution revisits what Ferrari had introduced on the SF-23 at the beginning of the 2023 Formula 1 championship, a design that was later set aside with the new wing introduced at the Red Bull Ring in Austria last season. It's not just about past ideas, but also taking inspiration from rivals. The junction point between the flaps and the side endplate has been modified, drawing inspiration from the work done by the engineers at Woking, with the front wing that McLaren also introduced in Austria this year.
But it's not just about aerodynamic changes. As we had anticipated, after weeks of inquiries and discussions with the FIA, Ferrari has begun researching the flexibility of carbon fiber elements, such as on the front wing. This is something that has been ongoing in Formula 1 factories for some time, but each time it's pushed further by those who can push this concept to the extreme. The SF-24 was visibly a car with a stiffer front wing, but team principal Frederic Vasseur and Diego Tondi, the new Ferrari Head of Aerodynamics, have started to take risks and have set the clear goal of aligning themselves with their rivals. This has been made possible in part by the recruitment efforts carried out by the Team Principal, which has seen the 'Composite Materials' department strengthened over the past months, with arrivals from rival teams bringing valuable external expertise. It is very difficult, with just one new specification, to replicate what McLaren and Mercedes have been doing for some time now, but this is a first step in that direction, which Ferrari will clearly continue next year, unless the FIA provides different regulatory guidelines, as explained by F1 experts Rosario Giuliana, Giuliano Duchessa, Paolo D'Alessandro for formu1a.uno.
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