The FIA has shown that Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari decided to randomly undergo “further physical inspections” after the Japanese Grand Prix.
Leclerc was left with a lot of work to do at Suzuka after qualifying only in eighth position, leading him to see his one-lap efforts as a weakness he wishes to correct; Race day was a much bigger experience as he painted his way up. to fourth position, while Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz finished the podium in third position.
In each circular, post-race technical checks of Formula 1 cars are carried out by the FIA to ensure that the teams comply with the regulations, periodically selecting a car at random for more thorough inspections.
Max Verstappen’s Red Bull RB20 was selected after leading him to victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and Leclerc’s Ferrari SF-24 received more attention from the FIA after the Japanese Grand Prix.
Like Verstappen’s Red Bull, Leclerc’s Ferrari performed brilliantly.
“After the Japanese GP race, the number 16 car was randomly selected from the top ten for further physical inspections,” the FIA confirmed.
“The flexibility of the center floor, the flexibility of the main plane of the rear wing, the flexibility of the rear wing, the flexibility of the trailing edge of the main plane of the rear wing, the flexibility of the finish plate of the rear wing and all the boards, the thickness of the skids, were subjected to such physical inspections.
“All parts inspected were found to be in compliance with the 2024 Formula 1 technical regulations. “
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Ferrari is the only team to have denied Red Bull a one-two finish in F1 2024, with Sainz taking an impressive win in Australia as Leclerc followed him to the end.
However, hopes that Ferrari would have toppled the dominant Austrian team (and that Verstappen’s brake-related retirement would open the door) were shaken by Red Bull’s third one-two finish in 4 races at Suzuka.
As the groups prepare to return to China’s Shanghai International Circuit for the first time since 2019, Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur has warned Red Bull that his team has yet to exploit the full functionality of the SF-24 in its current form.
“Of course, you have to make changes to the speed of the car, but I think so far we haven’t gotten the most out of the car,” Vasseur told Channel 4.
“We made a few more mistakes this weekend and the first priority is to be able to make the most of what we have. Then we’ll have time for the car. “
Red Bull leads the 2024 F1 constructors’ championship with a 21-point lead over Ferrari heading into the Chinese Grand Prix.
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