Ferrari is currently in emergency mode. It is now clear that the last major update package introduced in Barcelona was a failure. However, after extensive testing on the last few race weekends, the team has now managed to bring new parts to the track in time for the Hungarian GP. This has noticeably lifted the mood, especially for Charles Leclerc.
“We did our homework well,” said Leclerc on Thursday. Two weeks ago in Silverstone, he and Carlos Sainz drove comparative tests. Leclerc sacrificed himself for the new Barcelona parts, which caused a massive bouncing problem in high-speed corners. To investigate the cause, Leclerc chose extreme setup directions on Friday.
“The week’s break allowed us to draw conclusions and make our choice for this weekend,” says Leclerc. How does that look? Better than expected immediately after Silverstone. Ferrari once again feels vindicated in that the downforce values measured on the track match those from simulations and the wind tunnel. But the bouncing in fast corners makes it impossible to drive the car to the limit.
Ferrari brings underbody update: Solution already in Hungary?
However, with the data collected from Silverstone, Ferrari has identified specific problem areas on the new underbody. And they are not extensive, but localized. This gives rise to the hope that small changes to the Barcelona design can lead to significant improvements. “We have worked hard in the factory, and in Budapest we will bring an evolution of the underbody,” reveals team boss Fred Vasseur.
“The details can make such a big difference, we saw that with the Barcelona package, which caused a lot more bouncing with quite small changes,” adds Leclerc. Conversely, that means: “There are also gains if you can manage it.”
Leclerc, who has only scored 12 points in the last four races since his victory in Monaco and is now only third in the World Championship, 21 points behind Lando Norris, still has unbroken confidence in his team: “Our development rate up to Monaco was really good. And I have said it many times: We were probably the team that made the most progress from Monza last year to Monaco this year.”
Ferrari: Problems with bouncing even before Barcelona update
Therefore, everyone at Ferrari is adamant that it was just a stumble and is not predicting anything worse. Carlos Sainz revealed before Hungary that the development team had even warned of potential bouncing with the Barcelona underbody: “It sounds like we understood that there was a chance and then it happened as our simulations predicted.”
“And now our simulations are telling us that our upgrades should have less,” Sainz said with regard to Hungary. “So I’m confident that at least our tools are telling us the right things and that we’re back on the right track.”
The only thing that remains a concern is that the Ferrari was already suffering from bouncing in fast corners before the Barcelona update. Both drivers confirmed this in Hungary. The cause and circumstances are still not entirely clear. “I have my own theory,” said Sainz. “I was already complaining about it before the upgrade.” Before Barcelona, it was easier to avoid, but not negligible either.
In and of itself, the Ferrari SF-24 is a stable car, unlike its predecessor, which was notorious for its small operating window. If there are problems with instability, then in 2024 they are usually caused by bouncing. It should be noted here: Already in 2022, when the phenomenon affected not only Ferrari but the whole of Formula 1, Leclerc had coped better with the resulting nervousness than Sainz.
Will Ferrari turn things around before the Formula 1 summer break?
Ferrari is now heading into the Hungary weekend with hope, but not too much of it. “If we optimise everything, then there is no reason why we shouldn’t get back to our performance at the start of the year,” says Leclerc. “But the important thing is just to have a clean weekend, without extreme setups, just so I can understand and know how the car will behave when I go into a corner.”
In addition, the update of the update still needs to be checked on the track. Hungary is a fairly slow circuit and has few passages that trigger high-speed bouncing. “But we have metrics,” assures Leclerc. “I think that should be enough to see it. But Spa will be a real test for us. Nevertheless, I am very confident that everything we have learned in the last three to four races will make the future better.”