Within the twenty second qualifying session of the 2024 System 1 championship, Scuderia Ferrari continued the work with the comfortable compound that started through the ultimate free follow session on the 6.2-kilometre Las Vegas Strip Circuit in Nevada with out making important setup adjustments. The low-drag rear wing, which is the specification beforehand seen within the Italian Grand Prix on the Monza circuit was confirmed, whereas each SF-24 automobiles ran the usual flooring specification, with out the up to date edge particulars. From a dealing with perspective, there was a normal extra of rotation, with steadiness shifting noticeably towards the rear at decrease speeds.
This attribute precipitated slight understeer on nook entry in sure areas, reminiscent of Flip 7. Ferrari targeted extensively on tire preparation, which required appreciable work even throughout the qualifying session itself. The Maranello crew steadily communicated with the drivers by way of radio, suggesting strategies like weaving on straights to create a thermal cycle that would generate enough temperature within the entrance tires at the beginning of a lap. Sustaining this temperature was additionally essential, because the lengthy straights precipitated it to drop under the goal vary.
This concern, significantly on the tire tread, was intently monitored, with the crew aiming to make the most of a level of understeer to warmth the tire floor. Finally, this influenced the technique for warm laps. The principle query was whether or not to incorporate a further preparation lap past the out-lap. In Q3, Ferrari opted to not carry out a preparation lap, in contrast to Pink Bull, as we are going to see later. In the meantime, Mercedes obtained their tire warm-up technique spot on, thanks additionally to the traits of the W15 automobile in low temperature situations. By attaining higher steadiness, they managed to function their automobile inside the optimum efficiency window.
This end result was one thing the Maranello crew had struggled with in current races. With monitor temperatures at 13.5°C and ambient temperatures round 12°C, unusually chilly situations for System 1, the W15 single-seater proved significantly efficient. This automobile naturally overheats its rear tires and generates important friction on the tire floor. Like Ferrari, Mercedes employed weaving through the warm-up lap however prevented a prep lap. Nonetheless, with a extra superior steadiness, they have been much less affected by understeer in low- and medium-speed sections.
Optimum tire administration allowed the Brackley crew to excel within the first sector, a serious weak point for Ferrari, which then needed to get well misplaced time within the the rest of the Las Vegas lap. This factors to a recurring concern with the SF-24 automobile, particularly inadequate entrance tire temperature at the beginning of the lap. George Russell gained considerably in Turns 2, 3, and 4, primarily because of better-prepared tires that supplied increased grip ranges. McLaren, then again, struggled not solely within the preliminary a part of the circuit but in addition continued dropping time between Turns 5 and 9.
Solely in Flip 5 did it lose nearly two-tenths, dropping an equal quantity within the low-speed part between Turns 7 and 9. After this part, the hole remained nearly fixed. In comparison with Ferrari, the primary limitation stays the straights, the place they’re unable to realize on Mercedes. At low speeds, they may have extracted extra from the automobile and the Tender tire. On nook entry, each MCL38 automobiles lacked important grip, dropping priceless time. Lastly, Pink Bull confronted important difficulties right here in Las Vegas.
Max Verstappen secured a fifth-place end, salvaging the outcome, whereas Sergio Perez was as soon as once more eradicated in Q1. The work performed by the Austrian crew on the rear wing made headlines: the Pink Bull engineers used a Dremel to chop the trailing fringe of the extra flap, additional decreasing the wing’s chord, realizing that the one ready for Las Vegas was not sufficiently low-drag. This modification improved the highest pace however didn’t yield important advantages over the lap, particularly when it comes to traction. From this, we are able to draw a conclusion.
In proportion phrases, 50% of the difficulties may be attributed to setup, which didn’t absolutely resolve the problems on the straights or enhance traction. The opposite 50% is because of tire warm-up. Most likely, when it comes to mechanical setup, Pink Bull needed to compromise on suspension stiffness to attempt to put vitality into the tires, particularly the entrance ones. These temperature points on the entrance axle have emerged previously, even when the Milton Keynes crew was dominant.
Lastly, we check out the telemetry knowledge and if we observe the perfect occasions of the primary groups, we see that the majority drivers set their finest lap in Q3 aside from Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time System 1 world champion and future Ferrari driver, in truth, did not put collectively a clear lap because of his personal mistake. With out this error, his W15, quantity 44, might have reached third place, behind Carlos Sainz. The Ferrari driver was only one and a half-tenths behind, with all of it collected within the opening sector.
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