Ferrari postpones some SF-24 updates planned for F1 Austin GP: strategy or delay?
10/15/2024 03:07 AM
After the string of races following the summer break, there has been regret and disappointment within Ferrari's racing department for not achieving what was hoped for, and possible, in the races between Zandvoort and Singapore. Based on the data, the points tally collected by the Scuderia in the races that were supposed to highlight the strengths of the SF-24 has decreased, inversely proportional to expectations. There was the stunning and unexpected victory by Leclerc at the Italian GP, followed by the defeat in Azerbaijan to McLaren, and finally, the bitter Grand Prix at Marina Bay in Singapore, where Ferrari aimed at least for a podium finish. That goal was compromised by a disastrous Q3 session that left Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in the fifth row, precluding any satisfactory result in line with expectations.
In this trio of races, McLaren, chasing the Constructors' Championship, scored 112 points, Ferrari 71, Mercedes 54, and Red Bull only 41. This trend confirms what is, in 2024, a realistic objective for the Maranello team: securing second place in the Constructors' Championship, behind the team from Woking but ahead of Milton Keynes. This was an almost impossible target at the start of the year, but now it hinges on the pursuit that Fréd Vasseur's team has been on since late summer, with the next milestone being the U.S. GP in Austin, where, despite a track not entirely suited to them, Ferrari's technical staff believes they can still close the gap with the reigning world champion team.
This scenario is possible, especially thanks to the updates coming from Maranello, which, as reported by Italian Formula One journalist, illustrator, and sports commentator Giorgio Piola on “Motorsport.com”, won't all be concentrated in the Texas event but will likely be introduced in two steps: in Austin (with the new “flexible” front wing) and then in Mexico City the following week, where the development package will be completed.
"F1 returns to action with the U.S. GP after a month's break. […] Ferrari, reinforced by the arrival of Loic Serra […] and Jerome D'Ambrosio […], is headed to Austin to confirm the strong form of the SF-24. […] The Scuderia will bring technical updates to Texas: we were told that what we will see in the U.S. will be the final development package of the SF-24, but it seems that the planned changes will be divided into two steps." – he explained.
A last-minute change of plans, although it's not known whether this is due to strategic choices (given the limited time available during the Texas Sprint weekend) or delays in the production of certain components.
"So not just Austin, but also Mexico City. It's unclear whether the division of updates into two separate steps is the result of delays in finalizing certain parts or if, with only one free practice session available during the Sprint Race weekend, they didn't want to introduce too many changes at once. […] The front wing with a more extreme mobile flap will debut in Austin, while some elements of the floor may appear in Mexico. […] Ferrari is working to chase down and overtake Red Bull for second place in the Constructors' Championship." – the Italian Formula One journalist concluded.
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