Scuderia Ferrari has confirmed its first step towards the development of SF90 in the upcoming F1 Azerbaijan GP weekend at Baku City Circuit.
Like every other team, bits and pieces come along in every grand prix weekends but they keep certain big haul upgrades for their cars at selected events when they are ready with it after running those updates in the wind tunnel.
Its been a mixed first three F1 races so far in 2019 with Mercedes ahead despite the solid showing by Ferrari in Bahrain GP. The German rival’s power in the corners has allowed it to have the edge on the Italian manufacturer, who has the straight-line speed.
As they enter the crucial phase in the 2019 season, Ferrari has revealed that they are to bring their first upgrade this weekend in Azerbaijan for the development of the SF90 as they try and break the Mercedes 1-2 momentum.
“Coming off the back of three races that definitely didn’t go the way we wanted, this GP is another important moment for us,” said team principal Mattia Binotto. “We have prepared for it very well, analysing all the data we have acquired up until now.
“Also, looking at areas where we can improve and working on adapting the car’s set-up and the power unit management to the characteristics of the track. In fact, Baku features a very long straight, which places special demands on the engine, both the internal combustion part as well as the hybrid elements.
“It’s relatively easy to overtake on this track, partly due to the DRS, especially this year as it has a greater effect than in the past. The track surface is very smooth, which means tyre wear is generally low, but as the tyres therefore generate less energy, it can be difficult to get them in the right working temperature range.
“We know from past experience that there’s a high probability of the Safety Car appearing on track in Baku and therefore it’s an important aspect to consider when looking at the race strategy. We are bringing a few updates to Baku, as the first step in the development of the SF90.”
It remains to be seen what the upgrades will be and if it will be noticeable on the cars when it hit the track on Friday. Considering they have a shortcoming in the corners, the step could be towards that as Sebastian Vettel spoke in vague terms after China qualifying.
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