Charles Leclerc, the driver from Monaco, raced in the Ferrari SF-24 on May 18, 2024, during the qualifying day of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at the Imola circuit in Italy. Leclerc discussed how the numerous big kerbs on the track may be hindering the progress of Ferrari’s recent Formula 1 upgrade package. The team introduced their highly anticipated initial upgrades to the revamped SF-24 car during the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, aiming to close the gap to Red Bull. Leclerc showed promising speed during practice sessions but was unable to maintain it during qualifying. Max Verstappen secured pole position, while Leclerc found himself behind the McLarens. Despite the setback, Leclerc believes there is still more potential to be unlocked in the new package and that the team will continue to make improvements in the upcoming races, which will be crucial for the rest of the season.
Leclerc also emphasized the importance of the kerbs in achieving a fast lap in Imola, noting that they played a crucial role that outweighed the benefits of the upgrades. A comparison of videos between the top three teams revealed that Verstappen’s RB20 and McLaren’s MCL38 were better equipped to handle the kerbs compared to the Ferrari.
« It’s a more twisty track with a lot of kerbs. When you’re on a kerb, the small differences in aerodynamics may not be as noticeable. Therefore, it may not be the ideal track to evaluate the upgrades. If a car performs exceptionally well on the kerbs here, it can make a bigger difference than an aerodynamic upgrade, » explained Leclerc.
Leclerc a exprimé l’espoir que le retour aux circuits traditionnels et l’ajustement supplémentaire de la configuration de la voiture débloqueraient plus de potentiel pour Ferrari. Il croit qu’il faut généralement une ou deux courses pour trouver la configuration idéale pour un nouveau package sur la voiture, ce qui leur permettra d’extraire les performances maximales.
« Nous continuerons à travailler là-dessus lors de la prochaine course et espérons reprendre notre avantage sur McLaren », a ajouté Leclerc.
Malgré les défis, Leclerc a souligné l’aspect positif selon lequel les modifications de Ferrari ont répondu à ses attentes basées sur les données du simulateur. Les résultats sur la piste correspondent à ce qu’ils avaient anticipé.
« Tout ce que nous avons anticipé de cette mise à jour a été réalisé. Les chiffres confirment nos attentes », a conclu Leclerc.
