Ferrari Team –– Tank: SF21, Team Score: 323.5 Points, Best Score: P2
Last season was one of the worst seasons in Ferrari history. Not only was it difficult for the SF1000 to get proper tuning, but the IQ of the strategy team was often out of line, making it extremely difficult for drivers to perform on the field. However, following a lot of hard work in the last season, it seems that this traditional powerhouse has finally come to an end and is determined to start once more this season.
Unlike the previous arrogance, Ferrari did not say “I aim to be a champion” as it did last season. Perhaps the executives have finally realized that “winners must first win themselves.” The team’s primary goal this season is not to win the championship, but to strive to beat itself last season and respond to the expectations of drivers and fans. Therefore, Ferrari has added a low profile this season, quietly doing the work and details. And because of this, the team’s tactical mistakes have been significantly reduced this season, especially when changing tires. The magic skills of changing tires in 10 seconds in the past have almost disappeared, which shows that the team has made great efforts to reform this season.
And the Italian team’s reforms aren’t just tactical, of course. In fact, they’ve made progress this season in the car, in the factory kit, and in last season’s much-mocked engine:
1. Super Fast engine: With the efforts of Binotto and engineers, the 2021 version of the new engine officially debuted in Russia. Its MGU-K, battery and electronic control system (Control Unit) are all upgraded, in which the voltage of the electric drive system is increased from 400V to 800V and the volume is reduced, which means that the torque of the SF21 will increase, while the rear aerodynamics will be increased. Design (Aerodynamic Design) space, the former is conducive to the acceleration of the car, and the latter improves the aerodynamic efficiency of the SF21. The newly upgraded MGU-K also provided more horsepower, and Ferrari’s straight-line performance at the end of the season was significantly better than at the beginning of the season.
2. Computer simulation: Whether it is the previous generations of SF71H, SF90, or SF1000, because the computer simulation software has not been updated for many years, some “large components” have fundamental errors in design, and this is why See why Ferrari has a “negative upgrade” mid-season. However, the team updated the simulation system at the beginning of this season, which finally solved this problem, and the engineers’ designs and ideas can be correctly implemented on the car, which is also an important basis for the success of Ferrari’s many upgrades/adjustments this season.
3. Innovative side box design: In 2017, Ferrari led the trend with the downward narrowing of the side box intake design, which has been used by all teams today. This year’s SF21 brings some new designs to the Sidepod Inlet. The shape of the entire sidepod has become an irregular arc instead of a traditional rectangle. This is related to the new design of the rear of the Ferrari body. The team’s R&D limit this season is used here and on the hood. Its main purpose is to guide the direction of airflow, and to expand the SF21’s adjustment space by increasing the downforce of the car.
4. Aerodynamics and tire wear: Ferrari engineers have also improved their debugging capabilities this season, and when the team performed poorly in France, the engineers were quick to identify and fix the problem. The reason for this is that when the team focuses on the straight road, the lower downforce adjustment will increase the burden on the rear tires (Rear Tyres) in the corners, causing the tires to overheat easily and accelerate tire wear. Therefore, Ferrari engineers made a little modification in the rear half of the body, changed the direction of the airflow (Airflow) to increase the aerodynamic efficiency of the car (Aerodynamic Efficiency), and tried to put the adjustment center of gravity back on the corners. After the correction, the competitiveness of SF21 has been significantly improved following that.
In the face of the low tide, some people will sink forever, but some people will rise once more and reach new heights. Ferrari’s willingness to reflect on its past failures this season and doing its part in a low-key manner is very commendable. Although no one knows how high the future of the team will be, at least as far as this season is concerned, this is a good rebound. , and also laid an important foundation for Ferrari’s return to the forefront.
The team’s conclusion to this season: After the pain, the team is steady and steady
Driver Transcript:
Carlos Sainz: Resilience(Points this season: 164.5 points, best score: P2, average qualifying score: +0.81 seconds (P8), average race score: P6)
It has to be said that Sainz is the most adaptable driver in recent years. Since the V6 hybrid era, the Spanish driver has gone around the team 4 times, from Toro Rosso (ie AlphaTauri), to Renault, then to Mclaren, and then to Ferrari this season. Sainz not only failed to adapt. On the contrary, the team’s performance became better with each transfer, and the points increased every year. This tenacious adaptability is particularly rare this year, as Sainz drove a Low Drag car in Mclaren last year and a High Drag car in Ferrari this year. The two extremes of the design concept have different technical requirements for drivers. Of course, Sainz’s more casual driving style has helped him to adapt to different cars, but seeing him push harder than other old transfer drivers (such as Vettel, Ricciardo), etc., even set foot on the award in the 5th race Taiwan, still have to admire Sainz’s ability.
