Ferrari has introduced a new update package for the SF-26 for the United States Grand Prix of Formula 1, focusing on an innovative design of the ‘fingers’ located at the front of the floor. Despite this, both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have downplayed these improvements.
Among the modifications, a slight redesign of the sidepods stands out, which includes minor changes to the air intake and the undercut, connecting with small modifications to the floor plate. According to Ferrari’s technical notes, these modifications aim to increase the energy of the airflow reaching the rear of the vehicle, thus allowing the diffuser to operate more effectively.
The diffuser has also been updated to enhance the expansion of the airflow released from the back of the car, through modifications to the overall volume of the diffuser and small adjustments to the internal separators of the floor. At the front, the five ‘fingers’ of the floor help control the airflow passing underneath, reducing turbulence to ensure optimal diffuser performance.
Ferrari has extended the outermost ‘finger’ to improve airflow quality in this area, but Hamilton explained that the improvements are “less than a tenth of a second,” while Leclerc has also minimized expectations, stating that it is just a small advancement.
“These are not significant updates; I’ve heard a lot about them, but they’re not as important as has been discussed,” Leclerc stated. “It’s a small step in the right direction, but we need to see if they actually bring improvements when the car is running.”
Therefore, the race at the Circuit of the Americas could be a decisive moment for Ferrari, which has shown good pace in the first practice session with Leclerc leading the table, although Verstappen’s time was canceled due to track limits.
Despite their modest initial impact, it is also important to consider that energizing the airflow towards the rear of the car can generate a higher level of downforce in a more consistent manner. This may not translate into a big change in lap time, but it helps stabilize aerodynamic performance during speed variations.
These small improvements may serve as a basis for future updates for next season, which will reduce the number of ‘fingers’ to just three. Thus, exploring possible extensions of the current updates, Ferrari could recover lost performance for the upcoming season.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
