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The Scuderia is hopeful that it can follow up the victories of Charles Leclerc in Texas and Carlos Sainz in Mexico with another win at the Interlagos GP this three-day (November 1-3). But how well does the Sao Paulo circuit suit the cavallino, and what is the Italian team’s (only) concern?
Ferrari is at the peak of its performance, as in the last 5 Formula 1 GPs – of which it lost only two, in Azerbaijan and Singapore, due to racing errors – the SF-24 has now proven to be an all-round efficient car, in any kind of track and with any temperatures and conditions. As is McLaren.
Now the cavallino, with the help of the new “elastic” front wing introduced by the Scuderia in Austin, achieves the perfect balance in its setup and also excellent management of each type of tire in Sunday’s lap arrays. The SF-24 looks capable of winning everywhere. Does this also apply to the Brazilian GP, the next three days (November 1-3)?
According to the team’s engineers, the simulations of the Interlagos track in Maranello were quite positive, and showed that it suits the specifications of the Italian car.
The SF-24 will receive the necessary aerodynamic modifications for the requirements of the Sao Paulo circuit, but will not have upgrades – the latter are scheduled for Qatar in early December.
Ferrari, therefore, will be hoping they can take their 4th win in the last 6 GPs on Sunday to move even closer to McLaren in this year’s constructors’ title race. The difference that separates them is only 29 points, 4 GPs and 2 Sprints before the end of this season.
There is only one problem, according to the simulations. Since the Interlagos circuit was re-surfaced, and it is impossible to simulate this, the Scuderia will only have one free test period to find out how to thermally manage the soft rubber (which will be C4 in Brazil) for the one round of ranking tests. That is, to solve her only “Achilles heel” at the moment.
Along with any changes in weather and temperature, this will be a crucial factor for all teams this three-day period. SF-24 generally prefers warmer conditions, but Sao Paulo always has a changeable weather, and there is a high chance of rain on Sunday.
Scuderia Ferrari director Fred Wasser at the 2024 Mexican GP
SCUDERIA FERRARI PRESS OFFICE
“We’ve come to the last race of this trio in the Americas, and so far we’ve managed to maximize the potential of our car.”said Scuderia director Fred Wasser.
“In Interlago we will have the 5th Sprint this year and with this structure (of the three days) it will be crucial that the team located in Maranello contribute with their remote support and analysis of the data collected on the track.
This expanded team, from Maranello to Sao Paulo, must ensure that Charles and Carlos have a solid foundation for the balance settings so they can dedicate themselves to driving.
In Interlagos the weather factor can play a role, making it even more important that everyone works with the utmost care to prepare for any scenario. Our morale is high, and the acquired speed is with us. We have to keep working like this, and later we will look at the standings”concluded the Frenchman.
However, the competition will be tough. Interlagos suits McLaren well, and Lando Norris had impressive pace on the hard rubber in his second stint at the Mexican GP. Therefore, this three-day period is expected to be another Ferrari-McLaren derby, where Max Verstappen now looks like an outsider.
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