New Ferrari floor exceeds expectations and mitigates SF24 flaw | Telemetry Analysis Qatar FP1

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With only one free practice session available during a Sprint weekend, such a strong showing in Qatar seemed unlikely. Nevertheless, Ferrari took a bold step by bringing back the experimental floor first introduced in Las Vegas. After its initial use in the U.S., where it was mainly used for data collection, the floor made its return on Charles Leclerc's car in Losail. Here's what the telemetry analysis reveals when comparing Ferrari's old and new floors during the fastest laps in Qatar FP1.

In 2024, Ferrari introduced several iterations of the SF-24's floor. Following the debut's baseline version, an update was rolled out in Barcelona, which negatively impacted the performance of both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. That version later evolved into the Monza floor, designed with a forward-looking approach toward 2025. The Qatar version, previously seen in Las Vegas, represents not just an evolution but a revolution of its predecessor.

Significant changes were made, especially to the floor's edges, fundamentally altering the behavior of this critical aerodynamic component. These modifications drastically improved airflow management under the car. Based on onboard footage and telemetry data, the new floor delivered gains even in slower corners (Turn 6), despite a stiffer setup aimed at enhancing performance through high-speed sections.

The comparison in the 7-8-9 sequence, despite these being long-radius corners, is particularly promising. While Carlos Sainz had to lift slightly between Turns 8 and 9, Charles Leclerc kept the throttle fully open without losing grip, as shown by the acceleration graph. Charles Leclerc's inputs were much cleaner, maintaining 100% throttle throughout.

An even more impressive result for the new floor is evident in the horseshoe section (Turns 12-13-14). Last year, Ferrari was forced to lift off significantly, losing mid-corner speed. While the Monza floor on Carlos Sainz's car represents a significant improvement, the Spaniard still had to lift slightly to maintain turn-in stability.

Charles Leclerc, however, managed to take the first part of the sequence flat out, confirmed by acceleration data showing no speed loss. The key difference came in the cornering phase, where Charles Leclerc maintained an average speed 10 km/h higher than his teammate.

Now Ferrari faces a crucial decision: continue using the new floor for the remainder of the weekend or save it for further refinement ahead of 2025. Regardless of the choice, the first product from the new wind tunnel has exceeded expectations. Moreover, it has addressed a critical weakness of the SF-24: warming up the front tires. This is especially important at Losail, a circuit known for being front-limited.

Source: f1ingenerale

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