Scuderia Ferrari and Charles Leclerc are going through a fragile situation. Within the turbo-hybrid period, the gradual tightening of the utmost restrict on homologated energy unit and transmission elements has turn out to be so restrictive that almost no group has managed to remain inside these regulatory bounds with out incurring penalties throughout a Method 1 season. Regardless of the spectacular reliability requirements achieved by energy unit producers, the ultimate races of this F1 championship may nonetheless compel groups to take penalties as a result of extra use of elements past the allowed restrict.
Present championship chief and most definitely championship winner Max Verstappen used his sixth inner combustion engine final weekend on the 4.309-kilometre Autodromo Jose Carlos Tempo in Brazil, which positioned him behind the beginning grid for Sunday’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Max Verstappen’s Sunday efficiency will go down in Method 1 historical past; nonetheless, except for the climate circumstances that highlighted his expertise, the Interlagos circuit has traditionally supplied overtaking alternatives. As we strategy spherical 22 of the 2024 Method 1 marketing campaign, which is ready to happen on the 6.2-kilometre Las Vegas Strip Circuit in Nevada, USA, issues are additionally rising across the energy unit sturdiness for Charles Leclerc.
Up to now, the 2 Ferrari drivers haven’t obtained any penalties because of environment friendly energy unit and transmission rotation. Nevertheless, the fourth full energy unit was put in on automobile quantity 16 again on the Dutch Grand Prix, which suggests seven race weekends in the past, and it has been used constantly for each the qualifying classes and the race since Zandvoort. The wet weekend in Brazil extended engine life, sparing the ability items from cooling points that may come up in dry circumstances.
The engines have additionally been pushed tougher by the drivers in comparison with a totally dry weekend. In earlier races, Ferrari’s technicians and engineers have taken each potential precaution to guard the integrity of energy unit 066/12. For instance, on the Circuit of the Americas in Texas, Charles Leclerc was repeatedly requested to carry out carry and coast within the closing phases of the race, the place he had a big lead over his Maranello teammate.
In distinction, in Mexico Metropolis, the Monegasque driver struggled to maintain up with Carlos Sainz on a monitor recognized to be demanding for engines on account of low air density. Among the many remaining circuits, Las Vegas stands out as one the place overtaking is possible. The upcoming race, set on an United States-style metropolis speedway within the playing capital, will closely rely on engine energy.
It’s no secret that Ferrari’s ambitions are excessive for the third Method 1 race on American soil. Final 12 months, regardless of the constraints of an SF-23 automobile that struggled with tire administration, Charles Leclerc took pole and got here inside putting distance of Max Verstappen, who finally claimed the victory. With the primary cases of energy unit element utilization exceeding FIA limits, grid penalties are important. Max Verstappen was moved again ten grid spots in Belgium and solely 5 in Brazil on account of changing simply the V6 combustion unit.
For Charles Leclerc, this may be the primary homologation of a number of elements exceeding the utmost restrict. The Ferrari driver has reached the restrict on the next usable elements: inner combustion engine, traction management, motor generator unit-heat, motor generator unit-kinetic, vitality retailer, management electronics, gearbox case and cassette and gearbox driveline, gear, change elements and auxiliary elements. What does the sporting regulation impose when the utmost variety of homologations is exceeded?
A ten-place grid penalty for the primary time any further factor is used, i.e., the fifth inner combustion engine, traction management, motor generator unit-heat and motor generator unit-kinetic or the third management electronics or vitality retailer. For subsequent makes use of of the identical kind of element, a 5-place penalty is utilized.
The weird format of the Nevada circuit provides important overtaking alternatives, additionally permitting for the good thing about a “contemporary” unit with a bit extra energy in comparison with one with heavy mileage. Nevertheless, if the Monegasque driver have been to obtain a ten-place grid penalty — even with pole place on Saturday — he would begin from the eleventh spot. That is removed from ideally suited, particularly at a race the place Ferrari hopes to maximise factors to problem McLaren on the prime of the 2024 Method 1 Constructors’ Championship.
In hindsight, the Brazilian Grand Prix would have been a more sensible choice, the place the SF-24 provided Ferrari fewer possibilities of success. It’s unclear whether or not this selection is as a result of mileage already used on all 4 energy items obtainable for Charles Leclerc’s automobile or if it’s a safety measure to keep away from any threat of an influence unit failure. It’s also value noting that within the batch of energy items used on automobile quantity 16, there’s the engine that skilled a noticeable energy drop in Canada, which can not have been utilized in any official session for the reason that Montreal weekend.
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