The one-two end within the qualifying session for the Dash confirms McLaren’s superiority on extra technical tracks, no less than over a single lap. The values in play relating to race tempo stay unknown, forward of a Dash race which takes place at this time on the 4.309-kilometre Autodromo Jose Carlos Tempo in Brazil, the place rumors counsel that tire degradation can be so excessive as to push for the usage of arduous tires. The third and fifth positions of the 2 Ferrari drivers due to this fact turn into a helpful end result for the Maranello staff, which, regardless of current progress, has not but absolutely addressed a power weak point of the Prancing Horse.
Barcelona, Budapest, Zandvoort, and now Interlagos. On tracks characterised by gradual and particularly lengthy hairpins, McLaren confirms itself because the queen of the hairpins, specifically the perfect automotive on the grid. Within the medium-to-high downforce setup, the MCL38 single-seater demonstrates the best ranges of effectivity, boasting wonderful stability within the mid-corner section, a lot envied by the competitors. After the missteps in the USA Grand Prix on the Austin circuit and in Mexico Metropolis, the Woking staff arrives in Brazil with a aggressive setup from the very first laps of the weekend.
The numerous uncertainties of the São Paulo observe should not sufficient to destabilize the staff, beginning with the whole resurfacing of the circuit. As predicted, the decreased roughness of the observe floor lowers the extent of mechanical grip, which is expounded to the tire penetrating the asphalt grains, whereas rising adhesive grip related to chemical bonds to the tire floor. Because of a really darkish colour that heats the observe floor rapidly, groups and drivers quickly uncover that the rear axle is the limiting issue, making it very tough to handle traction phases.
Nonetheless, what troubles nearly everybody are the quite a few bumps on the observe, with Ferrari staff principal Frederic Vasseur not hesitating to name the circuit the bumpiest of the complete 2024 Components 1 season. That is no small variable, forcing groups to boost the automobiles and soften the suspensions. None of this appears to bother the Woking staff, additional confirming that even the aerodynamic improve bundle introduced between Austin and Mexico Metropolis has not compromised the stability and drivability of the automotive. For McLaren, the Sao Paulo weekend begins with the perfect situations.
As anticipated, Ferrari on the defensive this weekend. “The place we struggled essentially the most is within the gradual, lengthy corners. We’re working to have a greater automotive in these corners, and I believe we have now seen good steps ahead in current races.” These phrases from Charles Leclerc should not from Brazil, however date again to his feedback final June concerning the lately accomplished Spanish Grand Prix. In São Paulo, Ferrari suffers from what has been a weak point of the Prancing Horse for the reason that starting of the yr, inherited from earlier initiatives. The SF-24 lacks stability in lengthy cornering phases, a side that turns into notably penalizing in Brazil in curves like 8, 9, and 10.
But, even on this space, the Prancing Horse’s progress is noticeable. On the Zandvoort circuit and in Budapest, Ferrari was trailing by 0.9 and 0.45 seconds in qualifying behind McLaren, a spot that on Friday at São Paulo dropped to only 0.25 seconds, solely partly justified by the shorter observe. Beneath these situations, Scuderia Ferrari limits the harm, ready to see if the updates promised for Qatar may even deal with this weak point.
The very best information for Ferrari is the satisfaction of each drivers with the automotive’s stability. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are actually wanting to see if the SF-24 will verify the pattern from current races, hoping for higher competitiveness within the race than in qualifying. It’s unattainable to attract conclusions about race tempo from the one free observe session which came about yesterday at Interlagos, given the various variations within the groups’ work applications. The Dash, due to this fact, stays a giant query mark. Some groups may even sacrifice the quick race, working it on a softer compound and saving the tougher tires for Sunday, though rain might have an effect on the primary race.
The information of the weekend is the substitute of the sixth inside combustion unit of the season on Max Verstappen’s Crimson Bull, leading to a five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix. It’s hanging that over the previous three years, Honda’s energy items had been among the many most dependable, but they now appear to be essentially the most fragile. This statement fuels doubts concerning the excessive packaging and distinctive bodywork designed by Crimson Bull for the 2024 Components 1 automotive, the place efficiency features could have come at the price of reliability.
The penalty can be served in Sunday’s race, permitting the world champion to learn from his second-row begin in Saturday’s Dash qualifying. Nonetheless, the fourth place shouldn’t deceive anybody relating to the RB20’s potential, as Max Verstappen himself acknowledged. In qualifying, the grip from contemporary tires masks the automotive’s limitations, which all resurface within the race, impacting tire efficiency. The Crimson Bull stays too unpredictable for Sergio Perez, who was eradicated in Q2 with out obvious profit from the chassis substitute.
Mercedes achieved solely sixth with George Russell, who lastly has the up to date Austin flooring. The W15 stays removed from competing for high positions, with Lewis Hamilton additionally lacking the highest 10. In Brazil, the Silver Arrows endure primarily from the observe floor irregularities, a problem that already troubled the staff on Austin’s bumpy circuit. Forward of the Brazilian weekend, Andrew Shovlin famous that Mercedes’s goal is to make use of the final races to experiment in preparation for the 2025 Components 1 marketing campaign.
Aston Martin fares worse, with each Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso eradicated in Q1. The Silverstone staff is trying to find solutions, even resorting to utilizing a flooring relationship again to final Could. It looks like ages in the past when the British staff was combating straight with Ferrari and McLaren, now with one in the back of the grid and the opposite two contending for the constructors’ championship.
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