The Ferrari SF-24 featured a pull-rod rear suspension, with a tie rod as a substitute of a strut. Rumors about an imminent swap to a push-rod rear suspension have been very persistent relating to the Maranello group’s new single-seater for the 2025 Components 1 championship. In accordance with varied studies, the 677 challenge will primarily overturn the suspension layouts on each axles with new kinematics. These predictions are fairly peculiar and, in all chance, misread Frederic Vasseur’s latest feedback on the Ferrari. Hypothesis advised a shift to a push-rod rear suspension between 2023 and 2024, which finally didn’t occur.
Italian aerodynamicist Enrico Cardile, on the time, defined merely why it was not adopted. This makes it a great second to delve deeper into what the previous technical director asserted virtually one yr in the past. First, let’s begin with a elementary idea: switching to a rear push-rod suspension is a bonus, however not as vital as one would possibly assume. It isn’t sufficient to merely change a tie rod with a strut, to magnify the idea. The profit lies in attaining a cleaner airflow towards the rear, as the interior parts are organized larger, permitting for a slimmer decrease part.
Already with the SF-24, Ferrari spent appreciable assets so as to obtain a compromise between the 2 layouts, with glorious outcomes. The “technical settlement” was reached by reorganizing the parts beneath the automotive’s bodywork, enabling them to operate otherwise in comparison with the previous. Moreover, resizing these parts as a complete made it attainable to slim down the decrease rear part. Nonetheless, the tie rod remained, which nonetheless barely disrupted the airflow in that particular space of the automotive.
It ought to be famous that Mercedes additionally switched to a push-rod rear suspension in the course of the 2024 Components 1 racing marketing campaign. For a number of months, this alteration precipitated varied adaptation points. It was a suspension adjustment examined on observe that discovered its correct operational level over time. This suspension modification will even function on the W16 single-seater. Returning to Ferrari, evaluations carried out on the manufacturing unit in the course of the previous season didn’t reveal a major benefit in abandoning the pull-rod rear suspension to justify the added weight and diminished compliance.
The whole lot ties into the functioning of the ground, which, to function inside its optimum window, relies upon closely on the rear suspension. Guaranteeing a sure conformity between these two components is important and inevitably brings a number of benefits. By “compliance,” we imply the suspension system’s potential to deform beneath load. This deformation is essential in figuring out the accuracy of the aerodynamic map. Additionally it is true that, with the up to date wind tunnel, Ferrari’s improvement work has appeared extra constant since the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Sadly, the six races misplaced in the course of the season attributable to technical points weighed closely, and because of this, simply as with the entrance suspension, switching to a wholly new suspension system could be a major gamble for the Maranello group within the 2025 Components 1 marketing campaign. If the Ferrari engineers and technicians had determined to put in a push-rod rear suspension, it will imply that the best way the interior components are activated would change, even when the kinematics may stay related, with the higher and decrease wishbones probably retaining the identical form.
What may change on this case is the tactic of working the third ingredient, which regulates trip peak—a essential parameter for the present ground-effect vehicles. It’s under no circumstances sure that on February 19 we would see some tweaks to the format of the overlapping wishbones. If the aim is to recuperate a few of the traction misplaced in 2023, it’s needed to realize higher floor contact and keep it for a larger proportion of time in the course of the acceleration part. To attain such a end result, changes are made to the format of the overlapping wishbones.
That is carried out by making small modifications to the association of the 4 arms, which may result in vital variations in on-track conduct. compromise between compliance and suspension rigidity should at all times be discovered to realize optimum ground dynamics. Moreover, it’s also attainable to make sure that the bars used to realize a great setup are much less inflexible by default. This facet just isn’t essentially tied to the usage of a push-rod system. Ferrari may make a number of mechanical changes with out overhauling the complete setup.
For this reason we don’t anticipate a radical change, both by way of the format or the kinematics. It appears extra probably that a number of refinements have been made to regulate each areas associated to the rear suspension. These modifications won’t be instantly seen to the bare eye however are primarily based on the technical understanding gathered in 2024, a transfer to optimize the efficiency of the brand new ground. This might be what Frederic Vasseur meant when he said that only one% of the Ferrari SF-24’s parts would stay unchanged in 2025.
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