Ferrari crew principal Fréd Vasseur didn’t mince phrases when talking only a few months in the past concerning the SF-25 single-seater, stating that the brand new weapon of the Prancing Horse, at the least based mostly on simulation knowledge, is “superb.” A automobile that, after a fluctuating however general constructive 2024 System 1 season (with the Scuderia combating for the constructors’ title till the final race), must convey the crew again to successful, hopefully, the championship. And, at the least up to now, the new child Scuderia automobile is growing with out points: the fire-up was carried out final week, and the automobile’s meeting is progressing nicely, set to be accomplished simply earlier than its presentation on February 18. Furthermore, past the knowledge gathered on the SF-25’s growth, additionally it is identified that the upcoming automobile could have many variations from its predecessor to beat its limitations and search efficiency in weak areas, particularly in qualifying, the place there have been vital difficulties in bringing the tires as much as temperature and extracting the complete potential of the general bundle.
Many inventions to check
The SF-25 will function a brand new chassis with a brand new driver place, a brand new entrance suspension (pull-rod), and a brand new gearbox casing, shorter, with a special association of the rear suspension linkages to maximise traction and enhance tire administration. A single-seater that everybody hopes can be aggressive, entrusted to Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton—two top-level drivers able to extracting its full potential in any situation. And exactly to work on and maximize the bundle’s potential, the SF-25 will possible be despatched to the Ferrari dynamic take a look at bench within the days main as much as its unveiling and shakedown. It will enable for the primary indoor exams, verification of its performance, and an preliminary data-gathering course of on the entrance suspension, forming the idea for setup definition forward of testing in Bahrain. Based on data reported by formula1.it, this take a look at bench permits for reliability exams and analysis of a variety of parameters, serving to be sure that the automobile hits the observe already “damaged in,” with a stable reliability basis (key with solely three days of testing to maximise observe time and efficiency work) and insights into the areas that require additional focus.
Rolling… on the take a look at bench
This instrument, constructed within the early 2010s, permits the entire single-seater to be positioned on dynamometers that allow relative movement and the execution of endurance, gas consumption, cooling, ERS recharge, mapping exams, and extra. A sizeable take a look at bench, primarily used for the F1 automobile but in addition outfitted with a number of consoles to accommodate different varieties of automobiles, corresponding to GTs or prototypes. An vital instrument, which, regardless of FIA restrictions (as in 2023, when stewards allowed solely 50 km of use), can function for twenty-four consecutive hours: a daytime session the place the automobile runs and a nighttime session the place the car is inspected, disassembled, elements checked, knowledge downloaded, reassembled, and fired up once more for the next day’s session.