While McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes look set to unveil significant upgrades during this weekend’s American Grand Prix, Ferrari will take a different route: they aim to fine-tune their current package while collecting data as part of data analysis efforts.
Ferrari Opts for a Conservative Upgrade Plan
Ferrari made their decision following difficulties in earlier upgrades, particularly after the Spanish Grand Prix, where these changes caused them to drop from being second fastest team only behind Red Bull down to fourth position and led them down an unexpectedly long path of work towards regaining competitiveness by providing Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz with reliable cars.
Recent adjustments made in Italy have been fruitful, placing Ferrari in a strong position to contend for victories once more. Despite this turnaround, the team faces obstacles that prevent them from aggressively rolling out new upgrades, as per Team Principal Fred Vasseur’s cautious approach.
Caution Over Speed: Vasseur’s Development Philosophy
Ferrari have recently competed at unique circuits like Baku and Singapore since deploying their updates, leading them to reflect upon potential development risks of Sprint race weekends that Aston Martin experienced last year as they attempt to deploy substantial upgrades during races like these.
While other top competitors adjust to new components, Ferrari will take advantage of its established vehicle setup to reduce uncertainty and ensure they can introduce major upgrades at an opportune moment — possibly after this weekend’s race. As next season’s designs may draw upon those of this season’s designs, such a precautionary strategy seems prudent.