Showing posts with label formu1a.uno. Show all posts
Showing posts with label formu1a.uno. Show all posts

Tuesday 28 September 2021

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/

Thursday 16 September 2021

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 Italianhttps://www.formu1a.uno/a-monza-mclaren-si-e-presa-cio-che-ferrari-ha-sciupato-a-montecarlo/

Friday 13 August 2021

How Mercedes has (technically) overturned the World Championship in two Grand Prix.

PHOTO CREDIT: Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport/Steve Etherington
There is a World Championship. Far from being taken for granted in this modern era of Formula 1. Hamilton versus Verstappen (195 to 187 points) and Mercedes against Red Bull (303 to 291 points). To the sound of reversals and changes of hierarchies. Beautiful!

After a start to the season that showed us Red Bull's superiority even though the first race went to Lewis Hamilton, thanks to a better understanding of the W12 and a few too many problems in making the updates brought to the track by Red Bull and the power unit work from Honda, the Mercedes car has returned to the level, if not ahead, of the RB16B between Portugal and especially Barcelona.

At Portimao, Red Bull brought a hefty aerodynamic update to the track that struggled to get to work properly.
Illustration By: Rosario Giuliana
However, in the following month of racing (or a little more), Red Bull managed to overturn the world championship, thanks to some aerodynamic updates brought to the track that also made it possible to fully exploit the potential of the Portimao package; not to be underestimated then, the recovery in terms of power thanks to the second Honda power unit introduced in the French Grand Prix.

More power and more reliability. Thanks also to the change of specification of one of the macro-components of the PU subject to quota, the turbocharger it's believed, approved by the FIA after the competitors, including Mercedes, had also given their approval.

Only with further updates between Monaco and Baku did the situation improve, with the RB16B taking off against the W12.
Illustration By: Rosario Giuliana
Steps forward that have allowed the Japanese engineers to compete on equal terms, and even slightly more, with the Mercedes PU.

Always focusing on Honda, after the Verstappen accident at Silverstone, there was a strong concern for the Power Unit.

After being sent to Japan, replacing some non-quota components, it had been checked at the counter with the "ok" for its use in the Hungarian Friday  Free Practice; in the event of a negative result on some component, plan B were already in place to use the first power unit with the replacement only in case of battery problems, the most 'worrying' element, and the control unit.

On the other hand, the Hungaroring track, although it has become more power-sensitive with the current cars than a few years ago, is not so stressful for the macro components of the power unit and above all the horsepower of difference between PU 1 and PU 2 would have much less impact than in Spa-Francorchamps or Monza, two of the next three circuits (Belgium, Holland, and Italy) on which it will race.

The good results obtained in Friday's Free Practice allowed Verstappen to keep the best performing second unit (that of Silverstone) in his RB16B.

However, after a disappointing qualifying (all Mercedes front row), a further cold shower arrived for the Dutchman: a 'worrying' crack was found on the engine. Keeping that ICE in the car for the race meant taking too much risk.

But so Plan B was blown. Blame parc ferme and the upgrade in terms of turbocharger specification. In fact, to avoid a penalty on the grid, it was necessary to mount elements of the same specifications used in qualifying.

Could Honda have just replaced the ICE, keeping the second turbocharger unit and MGU-H in the car? Surely. However, this choice is never made because the 'reserve' ICE engines arrive on the track already with the turbocharger and MGU-H motor-generator mounted and checked, this to allow a faster replacement and with fewer subsequent checks.

Updates in a key part of the car for Mercedes at Silverstone. The goal is to improve rear flows and consequently aerodynamic efficiency.
Illustration By: Rosario Giuliana
Moving on to Mercedes, after the Austrian double-header the mood was not the best. They knew they still had a few cartridges to fire, but they felt cornered as never happened in recent seasons; even more so than those fought against Ferrari. Red Bull seemed in full control of the world championship, both with Verstappen in the Drivers' and the team in the Constructors'.

But the Silverstone - Hungary brace has (again) changed the cards in this splendid world championship. 

"We have a number of things that will make our car faster in the next races. We hope that they prove to be enough," former Technical Director, James Allison from Austria, said.

They arrived in the next GP, at Silverstone, expanding a setup window that up until that Grand Prix was quite small. But the results had not yet been fully hoped for on the track. The first weekend of the Sprint Race is also in the way, with only one hour of free practice available before entering 'qualifying'.

For this reason, Mercedes considered what the novelty package showed as 'encouraging'. In Hungary, the missing potential was unlocked through better understanding.

Updates studied in the wind tunnel mainly between March and April, given that since May the world championship winning team has spent full time on the 2022 project.

The low-downforce rear wing used by Mercedes at Silverstone. It is the consequence of the positivity of the updates brought to the track, even if they have not shown their full potential.
Illustration By: Rosario Giuliana

But this was not the only novelty, as always anticipated by the English engineer: "We are also planning updates regarding the power unit, in terms of 'delivery'. The engineers are working to allow the power unit to express something more." 

In Hungary,  Mercedes brought an electronic upgrade to the track focusing on its power unit, as well noted by FUnoAnalisiTecnica in the onboard analysis. Nothing new from the hardware point of view but only a more 'unique' mapping that has allowed the world champion team to return to command on the engine side.

According to a competitor, this step forward was also possible due to a track that was not so stressful for the macro components of the drive unit. It will be interesting to see, and Spa-Francorchamps is already a good track for that if Mercedes is so aggressive on the 'unique mapping' even on more critical tracks for the engine; however, considering the allocation advantage Hamilton could have over Verstappen if the # 2 Honda power unit is inoperable.

According to the information, Formu1a.uno has collected, Mercedes could count on an advantage of 10 HP over Honda and 25 HP over Ferrari at the Hungaroring. 

The latter, as anticipated two months ago, will bring an update to its power unit on the track in the second half of the season which, according to what has been collected, should halve the current gap with Mercedes. This is the goal.

In conclusion, if the steps forward made by Mercedes on the engine side, we associate those made at Silverstone on the aerodynamic side plus the introduction of the new rear Pirelli tyres, one more variable and to be taken into account in such a sensitive F1, we can understand how this 2021 world championship is a real roller coaster. Not only of emotions but also of performance.

Written By: Piergiuseppe Donadoni

Illustrations By: Rosario Giuliana

Original Link: https://www.formu1a.uno/ecco-come-mercedes-ha-ribaltato-tecnicamente-i-mondiali-in-due-gran-premi/

Thursday 5 August 2021

Formu1a.uno - How did Leclerc's Ferrari engine get irreparably damaged?

PHOTO CREDIT: Scuderia Ferrari
In addition to the damage, the insult is not only the retirement of Charles Leclerc who labeled the Hungarian Grand Prix as "an important opportunity", but, after in-depth checks in Maranello on Monday, Scuderia Ferrari announced that the second power unit is irreparably damaged.

From the press release: "After the checks carried out yesterday (Monday) in Maranello on the SF21 number 16, it emerged that the engine was irreparably damaged in the impact at the Hungaroring with Lance Stroll's Aston Martin and can no longer be used".

The third power unit of the three available will be mounted in the SF21 of the Monegasque driver at Spa-Francorchamps before incurring a penalty.

Something already planned at this point of the season, given that Spa and Monza (this year will be run after Holland) are very demanding tracks on the power unit. All this, however, having the first and second power unit available for the classic rotations on Friday free practice, considering the two remaining weekends with the Sprint Race (Monza for sure, then Austin?) Where it will be impossible to carry them out.

However, no longer having the second engine available for these rotations, which had only covered just over 1500 km, and with PU 1 over 4300 km, Charles Leclerc could incur a penalty on the grid in the second part of the season when he installs the fourth power unit and, as often happens, the fourth turbocharger group and MGU-H.

But let's understand how the power unit installed on the SF21 of the Monegasque could have been irreparably damaged.

Everything arose from the strong impact between the left front tire of Stroll's Aston Martin and the right sidepod of Leclerc's SF21 in turn 1 which caused the cooling system to break. This led to a major leakage of liquid, as can also be seen from the image above.

The Monegasque driver who was unable to see the damage in his mirrors tried to continue until his SF21 spun and the engine fell silent at the entrance to turn 2. Having continued with the engine not cooled, even in the few hundreds of meters that divide the first two curves of the Hungaroring, has generated devastating consequences on the power unit.

Something similar also happened to Sergio Perez, albeit in a more contained way (at least initially), so much so that the Mexican driver managed to get up to the straight between turns 11 and 12 where he had to give up, parking his "croaking” RB16B after the order given via radio from the pits (they had noticed the important anomaly).

Valtteri Bottas' serious braking error in turn 1 had in fact caused him to break the “right” cooling system of the Honda PU, which could very easily have suffered the same damage as its Italian 'sister'.

"He lost all the water immediately. We will have to investigate in more detail, but the first reports say that the engine will be difficult to use in the future," said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.

An innocent Leclerc, who sooner or later will have to serve a penalty of at least 10 positions on the grid, is contrasted by a Stroll who will be behind "only" 5 positions at Spa. The same situation is also between Perez and Bottas. It is strange to write it, but the two innocent drivers will pay a higher price than those who awkwardly generated the accident.

Then there is a question of money for the 'repairs' of the damages. These accidents obviously enter into the calculation of the millions of dollars (145 this year) available to the teams from the budget cap, thus going to 'limit' even those who suffer them without 'blame' as in the case of the duo Red Bull and Leclerc in Hungary.

Recall that Mercedes has chosen to skip a day of testing on Pirelli 2022s to compensate for the extra cost caused by the accident between Bottas and Russell in Imola.

The Milton Keynes and Ferrari team would like F1 managers to discuss how to account for this 'crash' damage.

"Accidents like the ones we have suffered in the last two GPs have not been foreseen and it is something that needs to be examined in more detail by the FIA," Horner said.

The British team would like these 'accident' costs to be excluded from the 145 million cap budget.

Scuderia Ferrari, on the other hand, is of the opinion that the teams of the drivers who caused the accident should pay for the damage. Mercedes in Silverstone, Mercedes and Aston Martin in Hungary. This is also to make the drivers more responsible.

Both solutions are complicated to implement, the Scuderia Ferrari one even more so. Who would determine what is the cost of repairing a particular damaged car? According to Red Bull, the Silverstone accident cost $1.8 million but it is not certain that for another team the estimated figure will be the same.

In addition to this, which components would be considered truly damaged and which not? And what about the engines? On the other hand, above all competing teams (Mercedes and Red Bull in this case they are) would do everything to increase the expense to turn over to the other team, if the Ferrari solution were used.

The inspection should then take place piece by piece, with the FIA ​​as supervisor. However, the latter we have already seen how often it does not have the ability to do it correctly.

In conclusion, it is rather difficult to find a solution that does not leave room for too many interpretations, always deleterious in a very regulated system such as F1 which instead, even more so with the budget cap, should grant more freedom.

Written By: Piergiuseppe Donadoni and Giuliano Duchessa

Original Link: https://www.formu1a.uno/come-ha-fatto-il-motore-ferrari-di-leclerc-a-danneggiarsi-in-maniera-irreparabile/

PHOTO CREDIT: Scuderia Ferrari

Wednesday 21 July 2021

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/

Tuesday 29 June 2021

Formu1a.uno - Analysis: this is how Red Bull turned the World Championship upside down.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool
May 9, 2021: Spanish GP was the last Mercedes win with Lewis Hamilton. From then on, four consecutive victories for Red Bull: Monaco, Baku, Paul Ricard, and Austria 1.

The latter is “the most dominant of the year”, according to Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner. Verstappen's advantage in the drivers' championship does not say everything because it is true but up to a certain point: in fact, it could have been higher. The Dutchman could have won in Bahrain and very calmly finished ahead in Baku.

Lewis apparently seems to be extracting maximum performance from what he has. A little. And while it is a merit, at the same time it is worrying because it doesn't seem enough. 

The Red Bull Ring is always an important benchmark. On a track like this, with three DRS zones, if you can keep your competitor out of these, it means you have more. And the RB16B actually had more all weekend. When Hamilton came into the pits for his second stop, which is useful to take the fastest lap and the extra point, his delay was nearly 18 seconds, a gap/space of two and a half tenths per lap. Real.

In just over a month, Red Bull overturned the world championships, with what is to be considered in all respects a decisive 'world' acceleration.

How? Thanks to some aerodynamic updates brought to the track in the last GPs, which also made it possible to fully exploit the potential of the Portimao package, and to the recovery in terms of power, thanks to the PU number 2 introduced in the French GP by Honda.  

But let's take a step back, analyzing how Spielberg's domination came about for a world championship that is to be divided so far into two parts. The first, of continuous growth for the Mercedes team coupled with too many difficulties for Red Bull. The second, after the Spanish GP, with the decisive increase in performance (especially in the race) of the RB16B associated with a W12 instead of more 'development'.

We started in Bahrain with the belief that Red Bull could finally oust Mercedes from the role of the undisputed queen of F1, dictated by dominated pre-season tests. At least partially, so it was, even if the victory of the Grand Prix went to Lewis Hamilton.

However, in Sahkir some critical issues had emerged with the Honda power unit, which we had already talked about. Vibration problems had in fact resulted in the replacement of some electronic components (battery and control unit) on the cars of Perez, Gasly, and Tsunoda as well as requiring a less aggressive use of the hybrid part of the Japanese unit, which caused the RB16B to lose performance.

This, coupled with the small leap forward made by Mercedes with its power unit at Imola, had opened a slight gap in engine performance between the German power unit and Honda. Well compensated in qualifying by better use of the tyres by the Anglo-Austrian car, unlike the W12.

Thanks to a more efficient diffuser, Red Bull are able to use the spoon wing already brought to the track in Baku (V2) at the Paul Ricard.

In Portimao, Red Bull arrives with an important package of updates, which sees the implementation of new flow diverters and adjustments to the bottom and to the diffuser; the desired results are not seen. The same goes for the following weekend, in Barcelona.

The performance of the W12, on the other hand,  continues to grow so much that in the Spanish GP we witness what was to be considered as a real performance overtaking.

The steps of the world champion team went through an intrinsic improvement of the car. An attempt was made to better understand the car and to find that correct balance between the front and rear axles, undermined by the 2021 regulatory innovations and, not least, by the abolition of the DAS which allowed the W11 to quickly have the front wheels up to temperature.

While Red Bull, more in place right from the start, was trying to get performance through updates that were not giving the expected performance improvements on the track.

In Spain, Red Bull Racing enters with a high-downforce rear wing to protect the rear tyres. However, the lack of horsepower of the Honda power unit does not allow him to keep it for qualifying and race. Too much time lost on the forehand against the W12s due to an underperforming PU compared to the Mercedes one and a high-rake set-up that intrinsically increases the aerodynamic resistance of the car.

From the FP3s, the engineers, therefore, decided to use a lighter, spoon-shaped wing on both RB16Bs, however, causing a crisis in the management of temperatures on the rear axle. Mercedes dominates.

Between Monte Carlo and Baku, Red Bull has worked hard on updating its front wing. In the illustration, the specification at the beginning of the year (Old Spec) was compared with the one brought to the track in Azerbaijan (New Spec).

However, in the following GPs, the turning point arrives: two updates to the front wings, brought between Monaco and Baku, coupled with a novelty to the diffuser (only partial in Monaco, complete only in Styria), allow Red Bull to find a lot of 'efficient' downforce at the rear, opening that window of operation and setup that was the real weakness of the RB16B compared to the W12.

The novelties to the diffuser brought to the track by Red Bull between Monte Carlo and the Styrian GP concern the outter profile. First only partially, then along the entire length, having a sawtooth profile, according to the engineers of the Anglo-Austrian team, allows increasing the efficiency of use of the rake set-up.
News used immediately by Max Verstappen while Checo Perez is granted only in subsequent GPs if evaluated positively in terms of costs/benefits since the budget cap issue is anything but simple to manage.

Thus, while Mercedes is forced to use the rears more, adding drag to the W12, Red Bull manages to enter the French GP weekend with a rather minimal spoon wing, finding an optimal 'balance' for minimizing tyre problems on a very complicated track, especially on race day.

Over the weekend were Honda, thanks to the introduction of its second power unit, solved those annoying problems that had limited its performance for 5 Grand Prix.

From the GPS data, the engine performance of the RB16B returned to that of Bahrain, slightly ahead of Mercedes. Ferrari followed, with Renault closing the engine performance ranking to date. All grouped in 25 horsepower, no more, according to what was collected.

The (small) advantage of PU alone does not justify the important advantage in the straights of the RB16B. In between there is also the greater aerodynamic efficiency, which allows Red Bull to be able to use much less 'draggy' rear wings.

Returning to the horsepower increase of Honda power unit 2, according to Red Bull the step forward is to be found in the new oil specification that ExxonMobil has brought to the track: “We have new oil, so I think Exxon should take all the credit for the steps forward Lewis indicated. From the point of view of the engines, they are homologated, and the second unit is the same specification as the first ”.

We remind you that engineers are allowed to make changes to their power units to solve reliability problems.

All this while Mercedes is reaching its 'maximum' understanding of the W12, a car that has now been praised in terms of performance.

Lewis Hamilton understood this too. Hence his important outburst in the post-Styrian Grand Prix: "Red Bull continues to make improvements and it is clear that it has made many in recent races. It is currently impossible for us to keep up with them. Even in the long runs, they are better. They continue to make fast laps one after the other and on the straight, we lose a lot." claimed the seven-time world champion.

The Low Rake set-up used by Mercedes and Aston Martin was penalized the most by the 2021 regulatory changes.
He then continued, getting to the point: "We need updates of some kind, I don't know where, rear wing, engine or any other component, but we certainly have to make up for the ground we have lost".

An appeal to the 'wind' as Mercedes are already fully oriented towards 2022 and no major update is expected in the next Grand Prix, but only minor aerodynamic updates and in terms of exploitation of the power unit.

We await a few more GPs, but the road seems to be drawn. Tyres permitting.

Author: Piergiuseppe Donadoni

Co-author: Giuliano Duchessa

Illustrations: Rosario Giuliana

Original Story Link: https://www.formu1a.uno/analisi-ecco-come-red-bull-ha-ribaltato-i-mondiali/

Tuesday 22 June 2021

Formu1a.uno - The Scuderia Ferrari SF21 is not a car for all track conditions.

PHOTO CREDIT: Scuderia Ferrari
Fingers seem to be pointing at the operating window of the tyres (especially the fronts) but it does not explain everything. 

The SF21 from testing showed its strengths and its weaknesses, we could not hope to totally overturn what we saw in 2020 but the signs were mostly encouraging.

The Italian car is not fantastic, but not as bad, as seen with pole position in Monaco and Baku, but neither is the car seen in France.

"I don't think the French GP reflects the true pace of the car or the performance itself, but it's something we have to learn and tackle, not in the immediate future but in the medium and long term," Binotto said a few hours after the GP.

Paul Ricard recalled that there is still a lot of work to be done, even on management errors and strategies that remain alive, although they have taken steps forward in a few areas compared to previous years.

An example is Leclerc's second stop, to put him back in the midst of Hamilton and Verstappen: it was no longer useful to leave him out also to check the return of performance that Charles was signaling even with a bit of amazement?

For what seemed like a real return to life of the front tyres that were finally clearing the massive graining. The Monegasque after a horrible pace also on 1m41s (lap times), after 20 laps, had dropped to 1m39s.

It could have been interesting to get further feedback on the car's behavior, why - like in Baku but to a much worse extent - the tyres started to work decently after too long and when the tread is fewer millimeters thick.

The explanations must be sought as in Portimão on the slipperiness of the track. With the difference that in Portugal it depended purely on the asphalt while in France on Sunday the conditions with rain in the previous hours made the track 'green' and slippery.

For the SF21, having sufficient grip on track is crucial. Which is the important difference between Paul Ricard and Barcelona, where Ferrari was the third force in the lot rather calmly.

Then it is clear that the SF21 needs low speed to pull and behave better than the opponents, at least the direct ones. Agility is one of its great characteristics which however goes out in the wide radius turns.

Furthermore, it cannot be a coincidence that both in the Algarve and in France, Sainz expressed himself better than Leclerc in qualifying.

Unlike Leclerc, we noted from Bahrain - and then better at Imola - how Carlos always prefers to enter the corners strongly and pay more at the exit.

A matter of style, confidence, and consistency. The prolonged corners favor this attitude because the car is in a 'continuous insertion'. The more the corner is shorter or even in the 'variants', the more Leclerc seems to make a difference with his 'V' shaped cornering style.

It is a positive difference because there is compensation between the two which can improve their respective skills.

The new front wing brought by Ferrari to France with new features on the footplate and an adjustment to ​​the last flap.
PHOTO CREDIT:
Formu1a.Uno/Rosario Giuliana

Nevertheless, in qualifying, the performance always shows something positive, why?

First of all, why it is better to have speed than to be covered and stable. Certain aspects, such as the rims Binotto talked about at the end of the weekend, can not be improved, but it must be considered that with a more rubberized track we would have seen a more close battle with McLaren. What Ferrari expected. Certainly not the ease (4 tenths) with which we were ahead of the MCL35M in qualifying.

"We know that in terms of race pace we are not yet where we would like to be: we will prepare as best we can and we will continue to do so in the coming weeks to give our drivers an increasingly competitive package." Laurent Mekies had stated in the post qualification.

The rear wing endplate as we used to see it before the French GP.
PHOTO CREDIT: Formu1a.Uno/Rosario Giuliana

The grip reset has revealed that the SF21 is not a car for all conditions. 

On several occasions so far we have seen a car immediately ready to extract times, except in Portimão and Paul Ricard.

In Maranello, in preparation for the French weekend, we worked almost exclusively to improve what had not worked in Azerbaijan, namely the 'race pace'.

The evolution of the rear wing brought to France by Ferrari. The lower part of the endplate has been revised and shortened.
PHOTO CREDIT:
 Formu1a.Uno/Rosario Giuliana

We arrived on the track with too much race-oriented set-up. The two free practices on Friday made it clear that it was difficult to extract the right performance on a flying lap. It took several laps to find the performance, which then came. Not a problem on Fridays, certainly on Saturdays.

Hence the choice, for FP3s, to go with a more aggressive setting (more exhaust), which would make the SF21 slip more, turning on the tyres faster and consequently extracting greater performance.

It was actually like this, even if Leclerc immediately noticed those annoying understeer problems that did not promise anything good for Sunday's race (and that did not disappear even by continuing to 'click' on the front wing). In qualifying, in fact, a more oversteer-oriented set-up is usually chosen in order to have it more neutral in the race.

The understeer was then exasperated on Sunday by asphalt with very little grip and very minor lateral forces in the race that do not help to warm the tyres, especially the fronts which are obviously not stressed by traction efforts like the rears.

“The race pace was not a problem in Barcelona. However, it is clear that we have a very narrow working window on our front tyres, so we tend to fight a lot more than our competitors when there are conditions where graining can form or when front wear is greater,” Carlos Sainz said in the post GP interviews.

In hindsight, a heavier downforce set-up would have been more useful to push the tyres and not slip too much. Alpine and McLaren are proof of this.

But it must also be said that Ferrari did not expect so much rain before the GP. A thermal lowering yes, which would also have helped (the rear), a reset so important in the grip of the track but no.

Even making an aerodynamic match on Friday could have provided some more data, even though the track worsened significantly between Saturday and Sunday.

On the most positive occasions in the race, the SF21 was in better shape than McLaren but it did not materialize as correctly as it could. The difference in points must be sought there more than in Sunday's disaster.

Due to the characteristics of the car, other negative events should not be surprising.

In Austria, weather uncertainties permitting, it will again count more to have good traction from low and medium-low speeds such as the exit from Turns 3 and 4 above all. It is not a track in itself tiring on tyres, at least in the first round where Pirelli will bring the C2, C3, and C4 compounds. In the second, however, it will move to C3, C4, and C5, therefore a softer degree as a selection.

"Spielberg is a different circuit, a track where the differences in qualifying are very small. I think it's a better track for us than Paul Ricard," Mattia Binotto, Team Principal of the Italian team said in the post-weekend briefing.

"We will not be as competitive as in Monaco or Baku, but we think that a better performance than the one in France is feasible," he added.

According to what Formu1a.uno has learned, Binotto will be absent in Styria while he will return to the second round of the Red Bull Ring the following week.

Article Written By: Giuliano Duchessa and Piergiuseppe Donadoni from Formu1a.uno

Story Translation: Junaid Samodien

Illustrations By: Rosario Giuliana

Original Story Link: https://www.formu1a.uno/la-ferrari-sf21-non-e-una-vettura-per-ogni-condizione-di-pista/