P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Ferrari trialled an experimental floor on Carlos Sainz’s car in Las Vegas practice that it never had any intention of racing either this weekend or for the rest of the season, and knew offered no performance gain. This is why
Ferrari took an unusual approach at the Las Vegas Grand Prix by testing an experimental floor on Carlos Sainz’s car during FP1, solely for wind tunnel-to-track correlation purposes, with no performance gain expected for the current season or 2025. Despite being embroiled in a close fight for the constructors’ championship, Ferrari also introduced track-specific front wing parts with varying trims aimed at optimizing performance on the specific layout of the upcoming race. The one-off floor test, even at the cost of compromising Sainz’s FP1 session, highlights Ferrari’s dedication to improving correlation between wind tunnel data and on-track performance, rather than addressing any specific correlation issues. Ferrari’s intention to remove the floor after FP1 and Clear’s assertion that Sainz’s performance was not influenced by the experimental floor underscore the team’s focus on meticulous development processes and track performance optimization. Moving forward, Ferrari’s commitment to such correlation tests emphasizes the team’s relentless pursuit of performance gains and data-driven decision-making strategies.
