Ferrari no longer plans any evolution of the F1-75. The Prancing Horse team has diverted all human, technical and financial resources to next year’s car, after Suzuka saw a modification to the lower bodywork, which both Sainz and Leclerc used at the Japanese GP.
Although the rain made the premiere of the long-awaited new floor more problematic, the indications that the Maranello technicians gave were positive, so there were no doubts about the use of that aerodynamic element that Carlos Sainz had had the opportunity to test in Fiorano during the 15 kilometers of testing that preceded the Singapore GP.
Mattia Binotto himself, director of Ferrari, confirmed the rumours: “The floor is the latest novelty this season.” The Scuderia, therefore, has spent the last ‘cents’ allowed by the budget limit, so they will contest the remaining four races of the 2022 season with the material available to the engineers led by Enrico Cardile .
Ferrari F1-75: this is the new floor compared to that of Singapore
The latest version of the floor is recognizable by the different design of the outermost endplate, which significantly changes the flow pattern. The top trailing edge has been raised and is now longer as well, with an addition at the end of the flow diverter.
The objective? Manage the turbulence that is generated by the rotation of the front wheel and that fouls the flow pattern inside the Venturi channels. Since the beginning of the championship, those in charge of aerodynamics, a team led by Diego Tondi , have striven to achieve maximum efficiency in that delicate area of the car in order to find performance.
Ferrari F1-75 the new fund brought to the Japanese GP
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Ferrari F1-75 the old fund seen up to Singapore
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
On the other hand, in front of the rear wheels there was a displacement of the brace that blocks the bending of the curb from the end of the ground to the rear extractor ramp. What seemed like a trivial displacement of an accessory was actually associated with a different arrangement of the fibers with the same design, a sign that the programmed deformations of the materials have changed with very different responses in that area of the ground.
Ferrari seems to have found a good performance at Suzuka, but the F1-75 continues to experience abnormal front tire wear: while the two Red Bull drivers finished the 28 laps of the ‘Japanese mini-GP’ on intermediate tires still serviceable and grooved, Charles Leclerc reached the finish line with a very worn front right tire, which practically looked like slicks.
The Ferrari F1-75 suffers from overheating in the front set-up that limits performance in any stint, regardless of the compounds used, a sign that there is something endemic about the car that the engineers have yet to understand. Without finding a suitable solution to this problem, it is difficult to think that Ferrari can win again before the end of the championship.
Mattia Binotto has hinted that Leclerc may have gone too far by forcing the intermediate tires in the opening laps, but the Monegasque in the wet didn’t want to let Max Verstappen escape.
It is up to the engineers to find the cause of this ‘evil’ and put the driver in a position to get all the performance out of the F1-75, a single-seater that was born well but of which Ferrari has never managed, except at the beginning of the season, to exploit all its potential.
