F1 News: Ferrari Explains Why Its Suspension Stands Out From Other 2024 Cars
Ferrari made major changes to its SF-24 car over the winter break after it struggled to catch up with Red Bull's RB19 last year. However, one key aspect that remains unchanged on the new car is the pull-rod suspension setup, which no other team on the grid utilizes except for customer team Haas.
Key Takeaways:
- Ferrari underwent significant changes to its SF-24 car over the winter break to improve performance, but it retained the pull-rod suspension setup, unlike other teams on the grid.
- While many teams, including Mercedes, transitioned to a push-rod rear suspension, Ferrari stuck with its modified pull-rod setup. Technical director Enrico Cardile explained that after testing the push-rod concept for years, the team found better aero results with the pull-rod layout.
- The 2024 SF-24 features an evolved rear suspension located inside the gearbox, representing an innovative approach for Ferrari in managing the inboard suspension compared to previous designs.
Last season, Mercedes employed a pull-rod rear suspension on its W14 car. However, for this year, the Brackley outfit opted to transition to a push-rod setup over the winter break, aligning with other F1 teams such as Aston Martin, Red Bull, Alpine, Sauber, McLaren, and Williams.
Despite taking inspiration from Red Bull's title contender for its SF-24, the Maranello outfit continued with its utilization of the pull-rod suspension, and there are concrete reasons that support the decision.
Ferrari technical director Enrico Cardile revealed that the team tested the push-rod concept for several years but found its modified pull-rod setup to fare better in the aero. For the present season, an enhanced version of the suspension is positioned inside the gearbox. Speaking to the media, he revealed:
“We tested for a couple of years a push-rod suspension.
“In reality, our rear suspension is a bit different in terms of top and lower wishbone distribution compared to a Red Bull one, to mention one team.
“We recorded good aero results moving towards this direction and when moving from pull-rod to push-rod, we didn't measure a big advantage to justify some compromise in terms of weight or compliance.
“So from there, we evolved our suspension, keeping the same layout."
Speaking on the team's innovation regarding the rear suspension on the 2024 car, Cardile added:
“The main differences compared to last year's car are on the rear, where the inboard suspension is differently located inside the gearbox.
“It is also a different concept which, for us at least, has been an innovation because it's a different way to manage the inboard suspension compared to what we did in the past."
Ferrari Press Image