Team Principal on next Grand Prix: ‘Innovation will give drivers a car to express themselves at their best’
Ferrari arrive in Budapest aiming to forget the cold showers of Silverstone, where Carlos Sainz Jr. took fifth place as his best result. In England, the team spent two free practice sessions on Friday trying to understand the critical issues surrounding the upgrade package, which was presented in Barcelona, and which revealed the SF-24 for the return of Jumpa much feared jump in a straight line.
Ferrari work
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However, the analysis of the English trip, in the words of Fred Vasseur, allowed the team to identify the problem: “We have identified it and now new parts are needed, and we will come with an update capable of reducing the bounces as soon as possible” announced the French after the Grand Prix. No sooner had the talk than the action, with the director of the red team officially announcing, on the eve of the Hungarian Grand Prix, the use of an upgraded version of the surface that had made its debut in Montmeló in the car. “The week of rest before Hungary allowed us to carry out a comprehensive analysis of all the data collected in the last three races – explains the Frenchman – so we found that the upgrade package recently presented brought the expected benefits in terms of loading points, but also raised side effects that worsened the driving comfort for Charles and Carlos. We have worked hard in the company, and therefore we will bring to Budapest an upgraded version of the box that we hope will give the drivers a car with which they can express themselves to the best of their ability.
the changes
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The innovations do not appear to be aerodynamic, but will be of a structural nature with the aim of strengthening the surface and reducing the bounce on the track, a Hungarian track, which could favor the improved version of the SF-24. “The Hungaroring circuit is characterized by many low-speed corners and few straights. The aerodynamic configuration of the car is usually high-load, even if it involves greater resistance to progress – explains Riccardo Adami, track engineer at Carlos Sainz – it requires excellent traction but also a very reactive front axle in the center of the curve to be able to improve the flight”. Characteristics that, as mentioned, combine well with the 3.0 version of the 2024 Ferrari, capable of generating high aerodynamic load. If we add to this the absence of long straights, the innovations could really help the red team to combat the jumps that have appeared in the last few rounds. Vasseur confirms optimistically: “I am confident that the package we will provide in Hungary will allow our team to be champions”.
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