Ferrari seeks gains with SF-24 but team boss warns of F1 performance limits
08/10/2024 10:20 AM
Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari’s team principal, has expressed concerns about the current limits in extracting additional performance from Formula 1 cars. With the sport’s regulations being in their third year, following a significant overhaul for the 2022 Formula 1 championship, teams are reaching the edge of performance improvements. The next major regulatory shift, involving new power unit and aerodynamic rules, is set for 2026, promising one of the most substantial changes in recent F1 history.
Scuderia Ferrari started the 2024 Formula 1 championship strongly but has since fallen down the ranks due to challenges in their development process, notably issues with bouncing affecting the SF-24 car’s performance in the last few months, since the Maranello technicians introduced the second aerodynamic package. Despite these setbacks, the French manager acknowledges that even small improvements can yield significant advantages given the intense competition at the front of the grid.
"In one hand, we are convinced and it's obvious that for one-tenth or one-tenth and a half, you change completely the physiognomy of the weekend” – Frederic Vasseur replied to a question from the Italian media in his latest interview ahead of the summer break – “We are all pushing to bring parts and you know that the correlation between what we are doing at the factory and the track for the bouncing is not an easy one. It was not easy for Mercedes, it was not easy for us, it was not easy for other teams from the beginning of the season." – he added.
Ferrari is focused on rebuilding driver confidence as it works to address its performance issues in this second part of the 2024 Formula 1 championship. Team principal Frederic Vasseur noted that having the same set of regulations for an extended period makes it increasingly difficult to gain performance improvements. The Frenchman emphasized that resolving the Maranello team’s bouncing issues is crucial for regaining the drivers’ trust and confidence in the car, both in the short term and with a focus on the preparations for the 2025 Formula 1 season, when Lewis Hamilton will join the Italian side’s line-up.
"And we are also on the edge of the development. I think that we have the same regulation for four years. And we have a kind of asymptote of performance. It's more and more difficult to chase the last tenth of seconds, we are a bit more at the limit. It's true for everybody. We have to police ourselves from the fact that bouncing is key. It's not just a matter of performance, but it's mainly a matter of confidence of the drivers. If you gain one-tenth due to downforce, then you are losing three-tenths by the confidence of the drivers or the consistency of the drivers." – Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur concluded.
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