Technical
TECH TUESDAY: Exploring the differences between Ferrari’s 2018 and 2019 F1 cars
Technical Contributors
Mark Hughes and Giorgio PiolaShare
In Bahrain Ferrari hope to turn around the sticky start to the season they suffered in Melbourne, where the new SF90 could not be tuned into anything like the sweet balance it had during pre-season testing in Barcelona.
Like its rival the Mercedes W10, it is a car considerably reworked from its 2018 predecessor - even beyond the changes made in response to the new aerodynamic regulations of 2019. It continues, however, to diverge from Mercedes in its aerodynamic philosophy and one of the key differences is how each team has responded to the new front wing regulations.
As can be seen in the animation above, the SF90 features front wing elements that are pared down at their outer ends ahead of the tyre to help achieve a stronger outwash around it. One of many reasons speculated for Ferrari’s difficulties in Australia was that at low speeds on the low-grip surface, the wing simply wasn’t generating enough aerodynamic load to prevent an imbalance in the car and that at more conventional circuits, such as Bahrain, we might expect to see a more Barcelona-like performance.
We’ll find out how that theory plays out in a matter of days…
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
News Ocon explains what convinced him to join Haas as he reflects on how partnership with Bearman can ‘pull the team forward’
Video HIGHLIGHTS: Catch up on the FP1 action in Spa as Verstappen goes fastest while Ocon has early end to session
News Alpine confirm Bruno Famin to leave his role as Team Principal
Feature ANALYSIS: Why Haas singled out Ocon as the man they wanted – and what it says about the team's project
![Coming Up](https://media.formula1.com/image/upload/t_16by9North/f_auto/q_auto/v1721913353/trackside-images/2024/F1_Grand_Prix_of_Belgium___Previews/2163617179.jpg)