Lewis Hamilton F1 News: Ferrari in desperate push to fix CRUCIAL problem

Vasseur, Hamilton, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

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Ferrari in desperate push to fix CRUCIAL Hamilton problem

Fred Vasseur opens up on the team's bouncing problem

Jay Winter

Wednesday 31 July 2024 18:00

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has revealed how his team are working to solve a significant design flaw.

The problem is one which Lewis Hamilton has suffered from in the past at Mercedes, and the seven-time champion will be hoping that the issue is fixed by the time he arrives at Maranello.

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Hamilton had to endure significant bouncing problems in 2022 as Mercedes struggled to get to grips with their car’s ride height in the new 'ground effect' era.

The seven-time world champion suffered significant back pain during races because of the issue, and Vasseur is keen to fix the issue on Ferrari's 2024 car before Hamilton makes his move.

George Russell and Lewis Hamiltonhad to put up with a painful Mercedes ride in 2022

Mercedes fixed their bouncing issues after changing design philosophies

Will Ferrari fix their bouncing problems?

"Fixing the bouncing is a step in performance, so for sure we are pushing like hell to bring something and we will do it as soon as possible," Vasseur declared.

"I think it's quite impossible to simulate the bouncing because you can see that from session to session when the wind changes direction or whatever, that the bouncing can appear or disappear, that it's really marginal. We are all really on the edge of this."

Ferrari has been working to understand and mitigate the factors contributing to the problem.

"We have some metrics to imagine if we'll be in a better shape or not, but at the end of the day we are also pushed by the performance that we could gain with a bit more downforce sometimes," Vasseur noted.

Despite the challenges, Vasseur believes the team has made significant strides. "I think we made a huge step forward, but everybody made a huge step forward on this,” he admitted.

Despite starting on pole, Leclerc could only keep his lead for three laps at the Belgian GP

“The issue is that we are developing much closer to the limit, and at the end of the day we are always playing with this bouncing to stay close. And if you overshoot, you have to do a step back.”

Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have also voiced their views on the team's current performance. Leclerc expressed optimism about the competition but acknowledged the need for improvement.

"It's good to see that everybody's so close, but unfortunately, we are still the fourth-fastest team and the top three keeps changing," said the Monagasque.

"We are consistently behind them, on a par with Mercedes, so we just need more pace."

Sainz echoed his team-mate's thoughts: "When you see the pace of Mercedes, Red Bull, and McLaren in the race... I think still [we lack] two or three tenths."

With the arrival of Lewis Hamilton in 2025, solving this problem will be crucial to ensuring a smooth transition and maintaining a competitive edge.

The forthcoming races will be pivotal for Ferrari as they strive to close the gap with the leading teams and solidify their position in the championship standings.

Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Mercedes Belgian Grand Prix Fred Vasseur Maranello