New floor Ferrari not the cause of reduced F1-75 performance
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Ferrari seemed to have it all together at the beginning of this season. They were blazing fast and took the lead in both championships. They were a serious contender for one or even both titles. During the race at the Red Bull Ring, they were unprecedentedly dominant and Max Verstappen saw the Ferrarisdisappear on the Austrian horizon. Carlos Sainz eventually retired when his car caught fire, but teammate Charles Leclerc drove to victory unchallenged even with problems. But then there was the French Grand Prix and all speed seemed gone.
On the distinctive red-white-and-blue circuit, Leclerc lost control of his wheel and ended up in the wall. But even before that, it was clear that the Ferrari driver did not have the speed to stay ahead of Verstappen. This race and those that followed, Ferrari finished at least ten seconds behind the Dutchman, who won all four races. What had changed at the Italian team?
Ferrari introduced a new floor at the French Grand Prix and fears began to emerge at Ferrari that the floor was at the root of the sudden lack of speed compared to the competition. The modified Venturi tunnels were said to be the biggest suspect where the increased tyre degradation Ferrari experienced from France was concerned. So the question arose whether the floor should be developed further or whether it should be taken at a loss and the focus shifted to a different floor with an eye on next year's car.
New floor Ferrari slightly better
But after the Monza Grand Prix, Ferrari is excited and plans to develop the floor further, reports Motorsport.com. In the first free practice session, Sainz drove a comparison test with the two floors and from the data the team gathered there, the Italian racing stable made out that the floor did perform well. Even slightly better than the old floor. The progress was not as great as that made by rivals Red Bull and Mercedes, but it was there. The on-track performance along with feedback from Sainz and run simulations convinced the team from Maranello.
Ferrari continues to tinker with the balance of the car and hopes to get tyre degradation under control. Team boss Mattia Binotto is happy with the space created in the calendar by the elimination of the Russian Grand Prix, it gives the team room to spend extra time focusing on areas of concern and arrive at the Singapore Grand Prix as strong as possible. A circuit that would suit the F1-75 better than the RB18.