Ferrari returns to Barcelona, a circuit where the teams have already collected a lot of data during pre-season testing, with the Montmelò circuit very much a high downforce track, which is why the Ferrari SF1000 is running an aerodynamic package identical to that used at the Hungaroring.
The high temperatures this weekend should be a big variable, affecting the direct comparison with the times recorded on this same track in February, where temperatures were almost 20 degrees lower.
Following the positive test in terms of tyre management at Silverstone where Charles Leclerc was one of just a handful to make the one-stop work, Ferrari looks set for a more positive weekend and is reacting on the cooling side too by opening up the slits on the sides of the Halo, as well as bringing an engine cover with increased cooling outlets to Barcelona.
At an aerodynamic level, Ferrari is running the same rear-wing as they did in Hungary – with an increased rope and high downforce set-up, with the return of the T-Wing, which was discarded for the races at Silverstone.
At the front, on the other hand, the old wing used during testing and at the first race in Austria returns, which helps to generate more downforce on the front axle than the version introduced in Styria.
Unlike the new wing it does away with the small cutouts in the upper area, which promotes a greater outwash effect, to ensure better aerodynamic efficiency at low-downforce tracks.
A further update this weekend concerns the barge boards, where there is a vertically developed element anchored to the bottom, which acts as an air diverter to comb the airflows along the sidepod of the SF1000.
This aerodynamic element was introduced in Hungary, and maintained for the two Silverstone races and is very similar to what Williams are running, confirming that the engineers in red are keeping an eye on all teams, no matter where they stand in the pecking order.
