Jock Clear, Ferrari’s chief engineer, explains why his Formula 1 team no longer believes in tire degradation in the 2024 season
Excessive tire wear has cost Ferrari better positions in many cases in recent Formula 1 years. But that is now a thing of the past, says Ferrari chief engineer Jock Clear ahead of the second Grand Prix of the 2024 Formula 1 season in Saudi Arabia.
Clear stresses that his team has been on the right track since the end of last season: “In 2023 in Las Vegas, we showed that Charles [Leclerc] can handle the tires just as well as Max. So I think that’s an area we [now] understand.”
However, Clear believes that only the rest of the current racing season can provide a final verdict on this, saying: “We can’t be absolutely sure until we’ve done the weekend in Jeddah and visited other circuits where there is low tire wear and smooth asphalt.”
But “after four races” Ferrari will have clarity as to whether the Ferrari SF-24 represents progress compared to the previous cars, which all suffered from too much tire wear. “There is Suzuka, which is an outstanding circuit that can be used as a benchmark for a car. You find out a lot [about your car] on a circuit like that. “
No compromises on the Ferrari SF-24
Until then, Ferrari assumes “that we are moving in the right direction,” says chief engineer Clear. “I’m sure we understand the issue.”
Ferrari has not had to compromise in favor of a better tire balance, Clear assures: “We have not moved the car in one direction or the other.”
“I think our philosophy is to have a balanced car. After all, there are an equal number of slow and fast corners or tracks with little and a lot of downforce. You need a neutral car. “
Where the high Ferrari tire wear comes from
Does that mean, conversely, that Ferrari hasn’t had a neutral car so far? Team boss Frederic Vasseur already explained in 2023 that the mistake was that Ferrari’s overall performance was not sufficient. Quote: “If you don’t have the pace, you simply have to overpush. And then you damage the tires. That’s the main reason for the situation. “
And it does seem to have improved: According to the Bahrain data, Ferrari had the second-best tire wear after Mercedes over the first race distance of the 2024 season. However, Red Bull at least has probably not yet shown everything, presumably still has reserves.
Or as Vasseur put it back in 2023: “When the pace is there, it’s much easier to manage. It is then also much easier to have a good strategy.” However, if you are chasing a deficit anyway, as Ferrari has done in recent seasons, then “you can do whatever you want, you are far away,” said the Ferrari team boss.
