Formu1a.uno - Ferrari Power Unit: In Maranello, we are also very happy with reliability.

PHOTO CREDIT: Scuderia Ferrari

When track conditions changed radically with 4 laps to go, the hardest thing for a driver is to make the right decision in a perspective that is neither short nor long. It seems evident that in the case of Sochi, between lap 48 and lap 49 the watershed - it is appropriate to say - was formed between making the shot or losing it.

Above all, the drivers' who remained screwed were clearly Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso, and Charles Leclerc. A single denominator but with rather different causes.

The Spaniard and the Ferrari driver were together with Perez on the medium tyres (C4), which gave significantly higher confidence than those who traveled on the hard (C3) like Norris or Sainz.

The softer tyres have a lower or better operating window, in wet conditions, it is easier to regain temperature if you lose it on the surface. It is clear that this is not eternal if the temperature does not rise again or worse still drops.

Raikkonen himself - who did it all right - soon realized that the hard tyres no longer worked. At that point he decides to enter to "try something different, discarding the soft and definitely wanting the intermediate". 

This is also because the Alfa Romeo C41 does not have a high dose of downforce coupled with a good mechanical grip.

What could have been a sort of advantage - for those who found themselves recovering thanks to the yellow tyres - turned out to be a boomerang on balance. He may have fooled the drivers awareness by confusing more than one wall. Everyone hoped to stay on track.

Of those on the C4 (tyre), only Verstappen and Bottas gained a lot by going to the pits.

The first was somehow forced by the low downforce adopted that was making him work harder than others anyway. For the Finn, nothing to lose and some data to offer in the Hamilton box.

Speaking of Alonso and Leclerc, both were in strong recovery until lap 49 in mixed conditions. From the driver's point of view in that circumstance, it is very difficult to decide what is best for himself in the medium term, the drivers cannot read what is beyond the stretch of track they are facing.

In essence, it is always the team that has the most information in perspective. At that juncture, it was understood that the last 4 laps would be infinite.

In a way, we can think that even the high downforce has helped some cars rather than others not to collapse immediately. Leading the most instinctive pilots to remain undecided.

Nor was Norris the clear example, his  "No!", extremely dry, was instinctive because at that moment he wanted the car to hold.

Being in the lead, instinct can tell you not to stop as long as you keep the car on the track but in this case, the clarity of the Mercedes and the experience of Hamilton have won.

A question to ask is not whether some should have gone along with the box as Hamilton and Verstappen did, because the answer in hindsight seems obvious. Rather because the pits - with people lapping 10 seconds beyond the crossover time between slicks and intermediates - were unable to talk and take the drivers by the hand or impose themselves in the right way.

Perhaps all this mass of data that is analyzed today, and F1 in which it seems you are afraid of being responsible for a decision, takes away from the authority of those who once decided bad or good. There seems to be a strange tendency for the more instinctive pilots to disobey. Sometimes with good reason. However, in the long run, it is something that can sow panic when a yes or no is really needed.

Mercedes and Red Bull are certainly the most solid in this and it has been seen. Which brings greater clarity.

Ferrari also remains a little too often in the middle. In some cases, even the driver needs to feel greater determination behind him to trust with greater serenity.

Also because not even Michael Schumacher yesterday, or Lewis Hamilton today, could have won some races at the limit if they had not had clear indications.

Basically, the trivially fundamental sensations of the driver should never tarnish or, worse, overrule the overall gaze that the team has to assert with dozens of screens in front of its technicians.

In McLaren, they will certainly talk about it (the above).

Ferrari: the power unit went beyond expectations.

Ferrari closed the weekend with a light and dark result. Carlos Sainz' podium mitigated the disappointment on the other side of the garage.

Both the Spaniard and Leclerc started very well from their respective positions at the start, closing a great first lap.

Sainz started well using the important tow of the McLaren (this time with a lot of wing) and commanded most of the first stint until he had graining on the front. The problem largely due to having forced the pace too much in the first phase - with 100 kg on board - to take space from Norris and not be in DRS range.

Probably with the update used by his companion he would have had more comfortable management, i.e. more gradual than the average compound requires compared to the harder one.

Nonetheless, on a green and cold track, the worst conditions for the front of the SF21, the fears of Paul Ricard now seem quite distant.

A fresh power unit made its debut in the Leclerc's car with the first version and technology of the 2022 hybrid. Also in terms of reliability, which was the most 'problematic' issue at the counters.

Overall, what confirmed the PU4 was the possibility of maintaining the energy for longer than the old one. In short, a question of efficiency.

According to the GPS data, the difference between the two Ferraris was on average almost 2 tenths only in sector two, the stretch with continuous extensions and braking where it is important to recharge energy. Leclerc also showed certain ease of approach on rivals with greater aerodynamic efficiency. Consumption is now also 'breathing', in favor of a more thorough use of the heat engine.

The last sector in dirty air prevented the Monegasque in the first stint from passing a train of cars much slower than him and showing us his real pace for most of the race, which in free air could have been not far from Norris.

In Maranello, the contribution given by the new unit will be analyzed but it is quite clear that, as Binotto clearly said, it will also be mounted "as soon as possible" on Sainz' Ferrari, that is, in all probability, in less than two weeks in Turkey.

Written By: Giuliano Duchessa

Photo Credit: Scuderia Ferrari

Orginal Link in Italian: https://www.formu1a.uno/power-unit-ferrari-a-maranello-molto-contenti-anche-dellaffidabilita/

Formu1a.uno - In Monza, McLaren took what Ferrari wasted in MonteCarlo.

PHOTO CREDIT: McLaren F1 Team

Like every edition, Monza is able to offer various ideas of a technical nature, as well as give emotions on the track, and for this reason, it is one of the most interesting events on the Formula One calendar.

The temple of speed has always made it possible to see cars with the most atypical aerodynamic configurations on the entire calendar, precisely because of the characteristics of the Monza circuit.

The very long straights, separated by violent braking with slow chicanes, favor single-seaters with very low, almost neutral wings, which are practically not seen in any other races in the world championship.

The 2021 edition, if we want, was even more particular than the past race, since the current season we know is a transitional and conservative one for many teams, which are already technically and economically projected to the development of the 2022 wing-cars.

Focusing on the fight for third constructors place, Ferrari and McLaren expected a different Italian Grand Prix, almost the opposite, with the English team very convinced that the technical characteristics of the circuit matched well with the MCL35M, vice versa for Ferrari.

However, both teams performed above their expectations, with McLaren delivering a masterful overall performance, not just in the race, but throughout the weekend, and Ferrari finishing in second place as a team in terms of points collected.

ITALIAN GP FOR MCLAREN

The return to success after 9 seasons (with a brace for another) was by no means accidental. It is true that the contribution came from the retirement of the two championship leaders Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, but both McLaren's were always close to the top positions.

The Orange team in Monza laid the foundations for a possible podium already in qualifying for the sprint race, showing a potential top. The final victory was the culmination of a perfect weekend, in which none of the drivers or mechanics made any mistakes.

At a technical level, the MCL35M of Ricciardo and Norris was equipped with a rather light set-up, one of the most aggressive among the various teams

The car designed by James Key is known to be a single-seater with great efficiency, as is the Alfa Romeo and is home on fast circuits. The trump card McLaren played right on the set-up, further exasperating its strength, adopting an extremely unloaded rear wing.

Illustration Credit: Rosario Giuliana

The mobile flap of the DRS in Monza had an extremely reduced chord, while the main profile was almost neutral. This made McLaren extremely fast on the straights, managing to be almost impregnable even for those following in the DRS zone.

In this regard, it is important to remember that the wake is all the more important when the wing of the car in front is large.

It should also be noted that the MCL35M is equipped with a Mercedes Power Unit, and the extra horsepower of the engine designed in Brixworth, first brought to the track between Silverstone and Hungary on the official car (Mercedes W12), by Spa also on customers, (McLaren, Williams, and Aston Martin) all met in Italy.

“The engine is a great engine and it helped us a lot,” an insider from McLaren told us.

The long-wheelbase also gives a certain stability in the fast corners, such as the Parabolica, where Ricciardo and Norris always managed to slightly open the gap from their pursuers.

Even on the front axle, James Key's car has adopted a very unloaded wing, with the last two flaps (the ones that allow you to adjust the incidence) substantially cut to reduce the resistance to advancement to the minimum possible.

Illustration Credit: Rosario Giuliana

With the double at Monza, McLaren returned to occupy third place in the constructor's championship with eight races to go, effectively managing to maximize the result in the only seasonal chance of victory.

ITALIAN GP FOR FERRARI

If it was a great celebration at McLaren in Monza, the same cannot be said for Ferrari.

However, the Maranello team was aware of the difficulties that would arise on the Monza track, the post-weekend statements by the two drivers, as well as those of Mattia Binotto, were clear.

The team arrived in Monza with the awareness of not being able to give great joy to the "fans", but with the certainty of not repeating last year's horrible performance with the SF1000.

The SF21 is a car that compared to last season is a clear step forward.

We have often emphasized that, despite the various limitations deriving from the freezing of the macro components, the work done by the Maranello technicians was excellent.

Since the SF21 was a close relative of the SF1000, there were many limits to be corrected: power unit, front axle, and rear instability. The latter was also chosen because that macro area of ​​the car was the most limited by the 2021 regulatory changes and where Ferrari thought and hoped to make the most profits.

The Monza track, on paper, did not go very well with the SF21 due to a matter mainly related to the Power Unit: the 065/6 Evo proved to be a clear step forward compared to 2020, however it still pays 25 HP from the most powerful Mercedes power unit, 15 HP from Honda.

Some problems in terms of reliability were seen on Friday in Charles Leclerc's car, with the Monegasque having to mount the old unit (the number one unit). Monza is a very demanding track for engines, where you are full throttle for almost 80% of the lap.

The updates regarding the hybrid part are eagerly awaited on the Ferrari, ready to be implemented in Turkey, if all goes well. In fact, some hybrid components from the past season are still present on the current 065/6.

Mattia Binotto spoke of "change in technology from the hybrid side" because the red will be increased so significantly, as anticipated by Michael Schmidt AMUS,  the voltage of the electrical unit, approaching the 1000 V threshold, a value with which, Mercedes has worked with for a couple of seasons already.

In general, the higher the voltage, the higher the efficiency of the entire system. This will also reduce the size of the components.

Hence the words of Binotto regarding “hazardous materials” for which “formal approvals and certifications are needed”. Also to be simply transported.

If it weren't for the Power Unit appearance, Ferrari at Monza could have had a better performance without a doubt. It remains to be stressed that overall the weekend was anything but a disaster.

The Monza circuit has characteristics that were not so detrimental to the Italian car, beyond the long straights. Ferrari has always behaved discreetly in rear limited circuits, that is, those tracks in which it is important to have great traction, and to generate grip mainly on the rear axle.

Compared to McLaren, in terms of set-up, the Ferrari did not present a car that was too light, on the contrary, the rear aerodynamic configuration chosen by Ferrari is practically identical to that used in Belgium and Azerbaijan.

Specifically, the rear wing of Monza featured a main plane with little wing angle, but with a movable flap with decent size. The only change with respect to Spa concerned the removal of the gurney flap, to reduce part of the drag.

Illustration Credit: Rosario Giuliana

An aerodynamic configuration like this allowed Ferrari to still be fast in the DRS zones. Other music obviously when it was necessary to defend oneself in the straights with the mobile flap closed.

The fact that we did not choose a set-up that was too light was to avoid penalizing too much the front axle which we know is and will remain the weak point of the SF21 at the end of the season. After the problems encountered in Belgium, a more conservative set-up was chosen to guarantee better tire management.

Due to a slightly heavier set-up, the SF21 showed excellent times in the central sector, where the two Lesmo curves are present. 

In terms of actual updates, a new front wing was used on the Ferrari.

The new wing specification features 'cut' flaps in the innermost part to balance the lower rear load while eliminating drag.

Illustration Credit: Rosario Giuliana

If it couldn't have been more than that at Monza, the bitterness of the occasions that vanished at Silverstone and above all in Monte Carlo remains in Ferrari's mouth. Ferrari has had its own chances of victory but has never managed to achieve anything concrete, unlike Alpine and McLaren.

In the fight for third place, with eight races remaining, the battle remains close. McLaren certainly took advantage of his own chance of victory, maximizing the result with a brace.

From now until the end of the season we should no longer see big changes on the cars and the values ​​on the field will be conditioned mainly by the adaptation that the cars will have in the various circuits. It will therefore be essential from now on not to waste opportunities, being ready if Mercedes and Red Bull should make any mistakes.

Written By: Rosario Giuliana and Piergiuseppe Donadoni

Illustration Credit: Rosario Giuliana

Original Link in Italian: https://www.formu1a.uno/a-monza-mclaren-si-e-presa-cio-che-ferrari-ha-sciupato-a-montecarlo/

Formu1a.uno - The reasons for Scuderia Ferrari's excellent performance at Silverstone.

PHOTO CREDIT: Scuderia Ferrari

The Silverstone weekend had to clarify the values ​​on the track, showing which car was the best between Mercedes and Red Bull. That didn't happen because Max and Lewis found themselves fatally in the position where, for various reasons, neither of them would back out.

This episode cannot fail to leave a mark between them. The big question is how they will act in the next side-by-side fight and whether they will trust each other again. The contact that took place at Copse is the result of growing tension and a difficult attempt that Hamilton could make, especially after what happened in Imola. It is a move that naturally requires the opponent's willingness to allow a lot of space. Verstappen is not that driver yet but he was also the one who had the most to lose.

The over 100 kg onboard load contributed to complicating the assessment. Plus it was clear that the day had not yet come when Max would start calculating. Looking back, who knows if, with a 33-point lead in reverse, would Lewis have done it. A race accident resulted, even if a 10-second penalty against Lewis should not be considered wrong given the greater responsibility of the British driver.

After the red flag, which saved Hamilton from retiring due to a damaged rim. Leclerc had taken the lead at the time of the red flag, taking pole on the grid for restart (a standing start).

Lewis' W12 was great, certainly better, but not dominant. During the sprint race, we saw essentially equal performance on C2 tires and relatively low tanks between Red Bull and Mercedes. An interesting signal for Brackley - combined with the excellent qualifying on Friday - who seems to have begun to understand how to make aerodynamics work better, in terms of efficiency.

Should the possibility of racing with less wing worry Red Bull?

No. Mercedes went very aggressive with the aerodynamic set-up also to close the gap that had been created with the RB16B in the qualifying of the last rounds, especially from that French GP which is the real point of discontinuity in this world championship. And trusting in the fact that the Sprint Race was a race that was run with low fuel tanks and with no tire management problem (considering the Medium as the perfect compound to be able to push 100% for the entire 100 km).

It half worked. Pole for Hamilton with Bottas very close to Verstappen who could have been even 3 tenths from the seven-time world champion in the 'strange' qualifying late afternoon on Friday. The error at the start of the Hamilton Sprint Race thwarted everything.

On the other hand, in Mercedes, there was some more concern for the first race stint, with a full load (fuel). Lewis also knew it, especially after the Sprint the day before. Hence his aggressiveness in taking a position 'at all costs' so as not to let his rival run away. Without Verstappen, it seemed quite predictable to overtake the Ferrari after a lap or two, and instead, Hamilton showed that in the first stint of the race the W12 was not great.

Leclerc kept the lead until the stop managing a good gap of 2 seconds which was actually 12 with Lewis penalized. The reason why the plan was to delay the pit as much as possible without the undercut's concern.

Updates in a crucial area, the central section, of the car for Mercedes in the UK. The goal was to improve rear flow.
Illustration By: Rosario Giuliana.

We have no counter-proof, however, in Mercedes, they are convinced that Red Bull is still ahead. The updates (in the Netherlands there will be other small 'tweaks' James Allison revealed) have been positively evaluated even if the full potential has not yet been extracted. The W12 came close to Red Bull but less than expected in the race, mainly for two reasons: the only hour of free practice did not allow for much work on the setup and, as understood, these updates could be more effective on other types of tracks,  more than efficiency. Silverstone with this type of cars, which generate a lot of loads seen, is less so.

How strong was Leclerc and how weak was the W12 in the first phase of the race?

Some data in comparison suggest. The pace of Leclerc, and potentially also of Sainz, although the Spaniard is slightly underdog on front Limited tracks, was better than that of Bottas by 3-4 tenths on averages enough to keep him with a certain calm behind after the help of Norris. Another sign that the fuel-laden W12 has struggled enough.

But why was the SF21 strong on a circuit where on paper it might not have been?

There are a few reasons: both Leclerc and Sainz had good feelings from FP1, a sign that the setup brought by Maranello was already quite centered. Quite a constant this season, so much so that Leclerc had emphasized it at the entrance to the weekend.

Ferrari arrived better prepared than others so much so that in the Sprint race Leclerc was only 4 tenths from the top while McLaren was no closer than 7 tenths. Considering the horsepower deficit, the performance of the papaya team was rather disappointing.

Something in the preparation at Woking went wrong. It should be emphasized in this sense that their Fridays were not always ideal. A McLaren that appeared not brilliant even if it lost a few points and that is consoled by Ricciardo in recovery, predictable on a layout that does not have tight radius corners.

The floor update brought by Red Bull to Silverstone.
Illustration By: Rosario Giuliana.

The SF21 with the same HP is obviously worse than the RB16B and the W12 in terms of aerodynamic downforce (the front is missing, which cannot be changed with the tokens already used for the rear), nevertheless it showed an interesting growth in this aspect and in handling. The balance on harder compounds which until now had created some operating problems.

The Paul Ricard was a weekend of external conditions, the rain between qualifying and the race on all but also smooth asphalt and low temperatures, not favorable associated with completely wrong choices in terms of set-up. The front (end) went completely into crisis, the rear also, albeit to a lesser extent. In the UK the conditions were different: the asphalt was completely different, more abrasive, the track much more rubberized and the temperatures much higher.

Almost the opposite to France, so much so that the two GPs are hardly comparable. This is why Leclerc spoke with good reason of "Paul Ricard's problems not yet resolved" after Silverstone. Should the conditions in France recur, the SF21 would not be that of Silverstone, it would suffer more, however with different set-up choices much less than what was negatively admired a few weeks ago.

The new floor that debuted for Free Practice in Austria race 1, and was used throughout the weekend on both SF21s in Austria race 2, has been confirmed for the Silverstone GP.
Illustration By: Rosario Giuliana.

Maranello's car is not the best in insertion or in long-distance bends in support, where it suffers from understeer, but it has an excellent behavior when changing direction, which has had its importance in some sections where the time is set. The tokens spent on the rear suspension are paying off and the car is continuing to work well and improve in traction. It is no coincidence that Binotto spoke of 'good prospects' for the rest of the season.

On the C2 (tire) the performance was excellent both in terms of wear and temperature control, something not entirely seen on Hamilton's Mercedes, accentuated blistering on the front left and overheating of the rear. On the C1, on the other hand, the W12 has perfectly centered in the window of use expressing itself at its best, since Bottas has also significantly improved his performance even if not at the level of being able to resume Leclerc.

Finally, it must be considered that the British one was the first Grand Prix with the new rear compound similar to the one that will be used for the production of the 18-inch tire for 2022. No team reported obvious problems of adaptation, but it was an additional variable added, to be carefully checked in the next appointments.

Could Ferrari win it?

The Monegasque driver could also have done it if Sainz had had a better weekend. When he stopped he was 20 seconds behind his teammate; had he been closer, not impossible with a good qualifying and without the pit stop problem, he would have helped in the strategy by preventing Hamilton from recovering too quickly in the second stint. Or conditioning it in some way on the pace or on the tires. Something similar to Spa 2019 - in that case with Vettel - could have happened.

Lewis was able to catch Ferrari in time due to the ease with which McLaren passed and of course thanks to the team order given to Bottas.

Towards Hungary.

According to what has been learned from Formu1a.uno sources, in view of Hungary, Ferrari has begun to be more aggressive on the power unit front in terms of energy recovery.

As already reported, according to the original plans there was room to implement the performance of the hybrid part from Hungary through new specifications improved in reliability that could guarantee a small step forward in terms of energy storage and use, namely the possibility to be able to spend it a little longer during the lap. It is a very important work in view of 2022 because the introduction of fuel with 10% ethanol seems to reduce the power of the ICE on the bench by about 5% with the same consumption.

In Budapest everyone will have to go with maximum downforce levels; with a normal weekend, we will have more elements to interpret how much improvement the Mercedes has been compared to its rival, with a Ferrari that will arrive with the lights off but will want to be fighting for something more than the 'normal' positions.

Written By: Giuliano Duchessa and Piergiuseppe Donadoni

Illustrations By: Rosario Giuliana

Original Story Link: https://www.formu1a.uno/ecco-i-motivi-della-ottima-prestazione-ferrari-a-silverstone/