The United States Grand Prix witnessed an impressive performance from Ferrari. Despite no apparent upgrades on paper, speculation is rife about what truly transpired under the hood of the SF-24. Could a secret tweak to the front wing be the key to their success in Austin?
Upgrades or Not?
Ferrari’s 1-2 finish in Austin seems remarkable as, unlike rivals such as McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes, they did not submit any formal upgrades to the FIA. This has led to suggestions that nothing new was added to the car. However, that’s only part of the story.
According to Article 19.1c of the sporting regulations, teams are required to report major aerodynamic and bodywork components that have not been previously used in a competition or test. Yet, Ferrari team boss Frédéric Vasseur has admitted that the absence of a report does not mean that no subtle adjustments have been made. “We may not have reported anything, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t bring anything,” the Frenchman asserts.
Speculations About the Front Wing
There are rumors that Ferrari used an optimized version of their front wing in Austin. Although it visually resembled the wing that was previously introduced in Singapore, insiders suggest that the team has been working on improvements that further exploit the aerodynamic flexibility of the wing.
Flexible front wings have proven crucial this season to optimize the balance of the car. They particularly help in addressing understeer in slow corners and oversteer at high speed. Ferrari seemed to have been cautious in this regard earlier, but now that the FIA has clarified what is and is not allowed in terms of wing flexing, Ferrari has decided to go down this path. “It’s not a game-changer, but every hundredth of a second counts. In qualifying, there were two or three cars within a tenth of us, so we need to take advantage of all the details,” said Vasseur.
Although the public has not seen any official upgrades, Charles Leclerc, a prominent Ferrari F1 driver, might have benefited from these subtle changes to the front wing, combined with the flexibility that is now fully exploited, which may have been the key to their success in Austin.
