As we speak, Ferrari wasted a possible pole place within the qualifying session for the Components 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. In addition to this considerably aggressive assertion, let’s calmly clarify the explanations. After yesterday’s session, we had outlined the Ferrari as a automotive with good steadiness however nonetheless with some margin to extract. The automotive had a sure diploma of understeer, particularly within the first sector, whereas within the third sector, it confirmed some issues within the ninth nook. Along with this, there was additionally intensive work from the drivers in understanding the right way to greatest exploit the SF-24 all through the lap.
The Maranello staff made some changes to the setup of the SF24 single-seater in an effort to handle sure vital areas associated to the observe. They did this by managing the understeer points in Flip 1, though they weren’t capable of fully get rid of this habits. In Flip 5, each Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz may have been tighter on entry, reaching the apex and making use of energy earlier. Some work was carried out right here to advance the mechanical steadiness, enhancing the lateral load switch on entry. Flip 5 is a really technical and complicated nook for everybody.
There was fine-tuning in Flip 9, the place it appears they labored on the vertical stiffness of the automotive. Particularly, Ferrari labored on the so-called bump-stop, decreasing the suspension journey. This restricted the vertical motion of the automotive. In reality, we had identified that in Flip 9, throughout the peak lateral load, there was a little bit of porpoising from the ground, which was barely noticeable right this moment. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz made higher use of the automotive on this part, getting into and navigating far more tightly.
On exit, nevertheless, they continued to cowl extra distance than the McLaren, which remained the automotive to beat on this facet. Within the third sector, the Ferrari vehicles arrived with barely overheated tires. Consequently, work was carried out on the tire warm-up technique. After evaluating between yesterday and right this moment, the chosen tactic was to start out the lap with 3°C much less on the rear tires. The entrance proper tire was completely at temperature, specifically no delta, whereas the left was 2°C decrease.
The appropriate entrance tire was on the appropriate temperature for a transparent cause: to supply the tires with the power to restrict understeer within the first nook of the observe. Nonetheless, on the end line, each Ferrari vehicles arrived with an excessive amount of warmth on the rear. The rear was 16°C above the goal, whereas the entrance proper was almost 20°C above. A scenario that, as we will think about, severely restricted Ferrari’s efficiency, as they didn’t have the required grip to take care of optimum efficiency.
McLaren did what it needed to, however it wasn’t sooner. That is additionally evident from the errors made by the drivers throughout qualifying and even throughout the lap that in the end put them on the entrance row. Lando Norris made a small mistake in Flip 9 and, within the part below the resort, made small corrections on the steering wheel on entry, indicating that the rear was a bit too scorching. Total, they had been quick, although. They confirmed yesterday’s aerodynamic setup with a medium-load wing. By way of high speeds, they’re not on par with Ferrari, however barely behind.
On the varied straights, the purple automotive at all times gained. On the finish of the straight resulting in Flip 6, McLaren arrived on the braking zone 5 km/h slower than the Italian automotive. This shall be an necessary information level for tomorrow’s race. The general dealing with was good within the high-speed corners, they usually targeted on low-speed corners. In Flip 1, they had been at all times glorious, with a lot much less understeer than the SF-24, however in Flip 5, they usually misplaced the apex, protecting extra distance. Solely in Q3, on the ultimate try, did the drivers handle to regulate this issue, although they confirmed imperfect traction.
All of this meant that, each in S1 and S2, the vehicles competing for the Constructors’ Championship had been on par. The figuring out issue for pole place was the third sector, the place the Ferrari was affected by an excessive amount of overheating. McLaren additionally had a sure diploma of overheating, however the Ferrari drivers didn’t handle it properly. Sainz may have carried out higher when it comes to sensitivity, contemplating the varied glorious laps throughout qualifying, the place the 2 Ferrari drivers had been capable of handle the automotive higher in S3, regardless that they had been removed from the optimum temperatures.
Lastly, let’s speak about Purple Bull, which many thought may take pole place. Nothing might be farther from the reality, or reasonably, it could have been not possible with out Max Verstappen, who at all times brings quite a lot of his personal expertise. The automotive maintained a degree of understeer that was virtually “power,” though considerably decreased in comparison with yesterday. Already in Flip 1, the automotive was not at all times dealing with properly, and in Flip 5, Max virtually by no means managed to hit the apex. Then, within the 6-7 chicane, he utilized an excessive amount of steering angle on throttle, making it ineffective. In Flip 9, he entered properly, however it was as if the entrance finish was locked, dragging him to the skin.
Because of this, the Purple Bull pushed by the four-time Components 1 World Champion was compelled to cowl far more distance than its direct opponents. In his good lap, Max Verstappen had nonetheless managed to place collectively many small “miracles,” however he threw all of it away on the final nook, the place he was unable to regulate his automotive as he had carried out earlier. To conclude, allow us to study the information associated to the of superb occasions, obtained by summing the perfect sector occasions for every driver and evaluating them with a reference lap, which was obtained by summing the perfect total sectors.
As we will see from the information, Max Verstappen was 0.36 seconds off absolutely the efficiency and, generally, was removed from having the ability to declare pole place. The Purple Bull driver complained lots about affected by so-called “below rotation” within the sooner sections of the Emirati observe. This attribute, in flip, prompted overheating of the entrance axle and compromised his efficiency within the closing sector. We additionally see that the standings largely align with the grid, with Nico Hülkenberg even setting the quickest time within the center sector.