P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Ferrari — and its power unit customers — has enjoyed a massive advantage during practice race starts during F1 pre-season testing, but why?
During F1 pre-season testing, it has been observed that Ferrari-powered cars excel at race starts, a crucial advantage under new power unit regulations.
Concerns about the safety and difficulty of race starts have prompted F1 to introduce tests to extend the time between the formation lap and the race start.
Ferrari and its customer teams have a significant edge over competitors due to the removal of the MGU-H, allowing them to spool up their turbos quicker for better launches.
The manual spooling process increases the risk of stalled cars and safety concerns, particularly for drivers further down the grid.
Despite Ferrari’s successful starts, F1 is testing a revised start process in preparation for the upcoming season.
Ferrari’s innovative turbo design enables quicker turbo spooling, more efficient energy harvesting, and better overall performance on the track.
This strategic advantage is evident in the superior starts of Ferrari-powered cars like the SF-26 and Haas VF-26, showcasing their competitive edge in races.
