McLaren received the Constructors’ Championship, and Ferrari, in contrast, misplaced it. This occurred through the 2024 Formulation 1 racing season. The reason being fairly clear sadly, contemplating the Maranello staff’s errors. Now we have reiterated this exhaustively, we should admit, in a number of articles devoted to the Italian staff for a lot of months now. The difficulty stays the identical and revolves across the lack of ability of the technical staff led by Italian aerodynamicist Enrico Cardile, the previous technical director of the Maranello squad, to provide efficient aerodynamic package deal. And by now it’s a well-know undeniable fact that the Spanish Grand Prix was sadly the start of the catastrophe that crippled the Prancing Horse.
The Italian aspect launched a brand new model of the medium-to-high downforce rear wing. However crucial innovation was undoubtedly the ground, a vital macro-component for producing aerodynamic load. When such a component is launched on a automobile competing in crucial class of motorsport, it requires efficient on-track validation. Certainly, it’s not in any respect easy to right away decide whether or not the research carried out on the manufacturing unit, between simulator and wind tunnel, have really resulted in a tangible enchancment. Because of this, on the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, the decision remained undecided.
Nonetheless, between the Austrian Grand Prix and the race weekend in Nice Britain, the solutions got here loud and clear. The brand new ground of the SF-24 didn’t work as supposed. It generated appreciable instability when it comes to dealing with, eliminating the characteristic of the Ferrari that drivers appreciated most: its predictability. There was vital bouncing and, typically talking, nice issue in using the correct experience heights. On the Hungarian Grand Prix, a “fast repair” was launched by the Maranello staff’s technicians and engineers, which was actually a preliminary modification to make this element extra manageable whereas ready for a completely new ground, which might solely arrive in Italy for the house race on the Monza circuit.
Within the meantime, six races the place the SF-24 showcased all its limitations. Aggressive eventualities through which Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz had been pressured into fixed adaptation, yielding no constructive outcomes. Throughout this a part of the 2024 Formulation 1 season, Ferrari misplaced its probability to win the Constructors’ Championship. Moreover, contemplating Charles Leclerc’s remaining hole of 81 factors to Max Verstappen, the concept that the Monegasque might have competed for the Drivers’ Championship isn’t far-fetched in any respect. There’s additionally one other problem weighing on the Constructors’ outcomes, the place the ultimate margin was a lot smaller, specifically might Ferrari have received the Constructors’ with out McLaren’s Mini DRS?
What we’re referring to is carefully inked to the disputes concerning McLaren’s legality. This brings us again to the dialogue in regards to the rear wing. A type of “mini drag discount system,” with which the MCL38 might keep a downforce stage just like Ferrari’s however get pleasure from a transparent benefit in high-speed sections. Primarily, drag was diminished due to a selected aeroelasticity of the factor, which might barely open on straights even with the drag discount system closed. This benefit was estimated at a prime pace acquire of at the least 3 or 4 kilometers per hour, which is clearly not insignificant in any respect.
Inside this state of affairs, there are two interrelated points that increase issues and never only for Ferrari. The primary entails the FIA’s angle following Pink Bull’s report. To start out with, if the Milton Keynes staff had not filed a criticism, the MCL38 would have continued utilizing the disputed wing till the tip of the 2024 Formulation 1 championship. This highlights the inadequacy of the legislative physique, which makes the foundations however is completely incapable of implementing them. Furthermore, as soon as the questionable legality was established, the Worldwide Federation didn’t penalize McLaren.
As an alternative, it politely invited the Woking staff to retire the particular element. Moreover, by means of its technical director, former Ferrari engineer Nicholas Tombazis, it said that sure previous circumstances couldn’t be verified and due to this fact instantly closed the matter. Sweeping the difficulty beneath the rug, basically. That is the FIA’s strategy. Creating such a precedent is extremely dangerous in Formulation 1. Why? As a result of a staff that goes unpunished units an instance for others, which, in flip, will really feel entitled to make use of borderline or outright unlawful options, figuring out they may face no penalties.
Nonetheless, in our view, probably the most severe matter issues the second problem that surfaced with the modification to the technical rules for subsequent yr. The regulatory physique launched a change that appears tailored to forestall the same or equivalent answer to that utilized by McLaren from being replicated. Beginning in 2025, the flap of the movable wing should adhere to the identical deformation restrictions as the remainder of the bodywork when the drag discount system is inactive. To be even clearer, the regulatory physique added a clause by way of Article 3.10.10.
There have to be a compulsory minimal distance between the 2 parts of the rear wing when the drag discount system isn’t energetic. Throughout the wingspan, the rear-end profiles should keep a minimal distance between 9.4 and 13 millimeters. This parameter shall be enforced when the system is inactive, with FIA inspections utilizing a calibrated spherical instrument to make sure full compliance earlier than official periods. At this level, a query arises and offers us a lot to consider concerning the matter.
Why does the FIA “ban” McLaren’s answer, thus deeming it unlawful, but through the championship selected to miss it and never penalize a staff that derived clear advantages? Is that this the usual process? Can we speak about a skewed championship? Simply within the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on the Baku metropolis circuit, the place the MCL38’s “Mini DRS” made the distinction, if we subtract 7 factors from Oscar Piastri (who completed first) and add them to Charles Leclerc, second on the end, the 2 groups would have tied with 659 factors. Furthermore, Ferrari would have had another victory. However sadly, retroactive penalties don’t exist.
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