Ferrari has been quick to implement a new upgrade for the Spanish Grand Prix in a bid to keep up with the obvious moves their Formula 1 rivals have made in recent weeks. And while it has been a rather disappointing spell at Barcelona, ​​the message from the Maranello squad is that this is not due to new departments not working – but rather the team being held back by problems Historic high-speed ball bounce. These proved costly in the final fast sector of the lap and with the margin so tight at the front of the field it added to the team’s position. The changes that Ferrari made for Spain are an extension of the ideas already applied to the SF-24 in Imola, with a series of optimizations to take advantage of better performance from the airflow through the section. between the vehicle and the rear travel.

The team made these changes with the understanding that they would increase performance but not at the cost of seeing its return as a difficult car to drive, as performance engineer Jock Clear explains . “We often talk about we want to make the car a little more benign and we want to make it a little calmer,” he said. “A lot of the things we’ve done over the last year, I would say, are very much based on that. “This is just an incremental upgrade. So it’s just a little bit more downforce and a little bit less drag, so it’s a little bit more efficient.” In terms of updates, there’s new bodywork on the front part of the sidepod to better exploit the newer P-shaped air intake arrangement.

The team also redefined the undercut, which then deepened into the waist and the waistline was raised higher above the floor.
A side-by-side comparison of the SF-24, albeit at slightly different angles, shows how much the beltline has been raised (blue line), which increases the distance between the lower part of the sidepod and the vehicle floor. The decking has also undergone a series of changes, as the team sought to build on the changes made to Imola, with the decking fence adjusted to complement the subsequent lowering of the roof. Notably, the lower SIS overlay has changed shape in this area, showing the extent of changes being made (blue arrow). There are also volumetric changes at the trailing edge of the floor, not only is the geometry subtly changed but the number of brackets used to hold the floor and edge wings is also reduced (red arrows).

Meanwhile, the diffuser has undergone a transformation, as changes upstream have allowed designers more scope to work on the shape of the boat’s keel and keel areas. which Ferrari has studied extensively in the past and seems to understand well.
The introduction of new halo furniture with the Imola updates includes a ‘Cobra’ winglet, mounted on the side where the safety structure’s rear leg transitions into the cockpit. These winglets have been further optimized as part of the update package to Spain, with the Cobra boasting more height than before. The hooked and horizontal portion of the winglet is now more aligned with the leading edge of the adjacent halo.

It’s a subtle but obvious adjustment that will affect the way air flows over the winglet, while the vortex potentially created will also be repositioned. The team also introduced a track-specific update in Spain, as they continued to add downforce and traction options with a new rear spoiler. The new top cover specification and main aircraft design introduced for Spain remain within the new design family the team introduced at Imola, with a revised top and endplate cutout to improve Improve the role of head vortex in loss management. These new elements sit between the downforce options used at Imola and Monaco, with the team looking for the right balance between downforce and drag for the Circuit de Catalunya, while also providing another option for the rest of the season.