ScuderiaLeo wrote: ↑13 Nov 2024, 16:41
I want to share this analysis from F1.uno on how far the car has come. It's a great compilation of everything that has happened this year in terms of development.
https://formu1a.uno/it/ferrari-le-tappe ... -mondiale/
- The development package introduced in Barcelona initially set the SF-24 back, bringing back bouncing issues in high-speed corners and worsening handling compared to the version 2.0 introduced at Imola. Bouncing is well understood to harm performance by affecting tire management but also driver confidence. Ferrari's team, led by Frédéric Vasseur, had to sacrifice nearly three race weekends to fully understand the nature of these issues, which were still related to the ongoing track-factory correlation challenges, and work on solutions. This led to an intense development program in Maranello, starting with an experimental floor introduced in Hungary. Vasseur described it as "evolved," developed solely using CFD (computational fluid dynamics) without wind tunnel testing.
- This experimental floor allowed Ferrari to verify the direction of their solutions while saving money and development time. Once confident that they were on the right path, work began on a development package initially planned for Austin. Under the leadership of Diego Tondi and Frédéric Vasseur, following Enrico Cardile's departure, the team focused on a new underbody design aimed at restoring stability to the SF-24 and providing a more stable aerodynamic platform.
- As work progressed in Maranello’s wind tunnel, another significant update was quietly introduced on the SF-24. During the Belgian Grand Prix, new anti-roll bars were added to the rear suspension. While no immediate gains were seen, these changes contributed to noticeable improvements in tire management and performance during the Dutch Grand Prix.
- Ferrari accelerated development and introduced the “Austin package” early at Monza, showcasing a completely redesigned underbody and modified sidepods. These changes immediately stabilized the SF-24 and increased the downforce generated by the car's body, restoring performance to Barcelona levels while expanding setup flexibility. Further updates continued in Singapore, where Ferrari introduced the first version of a newly designed front wing. A more advanced version debuted in Austin, featuring material innovations expected to shape the 2025 design philosophy. Over two races, Ferrari brought two visually identical but fundamentally different front wings, representing some of the "invisible updates" Vasseur referenced.
- Vasseur has often emphasized that not all updates are visible. Ferrari made undeclared mechanical changes, like those introduced in Spa, and upgraded its power unit’s software as permitted by the FIA, implemented in Monza.
- After missteps with the “Spain package,” Ferrari has invested significant resources to restore the SF-24’s competitiveness. The lessons learned have enabled the car to fight for key milestones, including a stronger position in the Constructors’ Championship—something unimaginable earlier this year. However, not all issues have been resolved. Future progress will require further work on the chassis and mechanical aspects, and are already underway for the 2025 project.
So, it would seem that ultimately it was a lot of work to refine the aero, the spring/damper/anti-roll rates and the analytical tools used—absent the possibility of testing in WT or other—to predict the dynamic behaviour of the car and tune out or better control the undesirable characteristics, including the bouncing, that was the real solution… and not all the missed design features perceived by the ‘X’perts to be magic bullets: RBR’s ‘anti-dive’ front suspension geometry (ironically, actually resulting in limited anti-dive effect), pullrod/pushrod FR/RR suspension, deemed to be causing the suspensions to be ‘overloaded’, etc.
