In the current context Ferrari and Red Bull represent the point of reference. In Bahrain the teams of Maranello and Milton Keynes gave birth to an exciting challenge before the double retirement of the RB18s, but in Jeddah the two teams are once again the most indicated as the potential winners. As always happens in a direct challenge, analyzing the individual contenders separately offers a limited view of the work done, as the set-up choices are often made according to the strengths of the opponent to be countered.
In Saudi Arabia all the teams have adopted more exhausted aerodynamic settings than those seen in Bahrain, thanks to the high average speeds around the 250 km / h of the Jeddah track which require the reduction of drag. AlphaTauri, for example, has brought a rear wing with a more pronounced spoon-like pattern than that used in Sakhir, while Mercedes has even evaluated two different specifications of lower wings compared to Bahrain. Ferrari was not far behind, declaring in the documents published for the “show & tell”, the obligatory display of the cars in the pit lane, that it brought a lower load wing to Saudi Arabia than the one used in the inaugural stage of the season. However, looking at the F1-75 you can see a wing that is extremely similar, if not identical, to the one used in Bahrain. In any case the Rossa denotes a highly loaded rear wing relative to the competitionan indication both of a consistent power unit that allows the use of high load levels without excessively compromising the speed in extension, but also of a front end that manages to generate sufficient load to balance the rear, thus also ensuring excellent use of the front tires .
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Instead, the situation is mirrored at Red Bull. Max Verstappen took part in both free practice sessions with the same Bahrain rear wing specification, while Sergio Perez resorted to a lighter version. The wing brought to the track by the Mexican is distinguished by the different extension of the central cut at the edge of the upper profile, but also by the reduced chord of the main profile, therefore by the smaller depth of the spoon shape. The set-up differences seem to be the result of the team’s desire to carry out comparative tests both on the flying lap and on the race pace with the two aileronsrather than being dictated by the preferences of individual pilots. Traditionally, in fact, it is Perez who prefers heavier set-ups to optimize tire wear management, while in the past Verstappen has often been more aggressive with set-up choices to be more competitive in qualifying.
Red Bull therefore evaluates the optimal load level to be adopted in view of qualifying in the race, also on the basis of what emerged in Bahrain. In fact, at Sakhir the RB18s were about 5 km / h faster in qualifying than the Ferraris, a situation which contributes to a car body that generates less drag, but also a power unit delivery that remains constant up to top speed, as opposed to the more aggressive Maranello engines in acceleration. However, the hypothesis that in Bahrain the Milton Keynes team deliberately discharged the aerodynamics to counteract the F1-75 cavalry, then suffering from excessive tire degradation in the race, should not be excluded. Furthermore, both in Bahrain and in free practice in Jeddah Max Verstappen complained of difficulties in getting the front axle up to temperature at the start of the lap, suggesting a lack of grip at the front. In choosing the wing to use in Saudi Arabia, Red Bull will therefore also have to take into account the balanceespecially considering the risk of graining on the Arab track feared by Pirelli, which would be accentuated by a particularly unloaded set-up.
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In Jeddah, however, Red Bull has made further changes to the car. The front brake vents have been enlarged after the problems of overheating emerged in Bahrain. Such an operation reveals a certain criticality in the management of temperatures, since in Jeddah the thermal management of the system is less severe thanks to the high average speeds and the reduced time of use of the brakes. Finally, it was installed at the rear a more discharged beam-wing compared to the one at the beginning of the championship that had amazed the paddock at the Barcelona tests, a replacement which, however, would seem to be part of the general operation of reducing the aerodynamic load on the Arab track. A Red Bull therefore that studies and works intensely to correct the few defects that have emerged so far in the RB18, while Ferrari continues in the pursuit of stability, thanks to a power unit with which the Maranello team can afford high levels of load.
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