Ferrari's impressive performance at last weekend's US Grand Prix, where the Italian outfit secured a dominant 1-2 finish, was a testament to the team's ability to learn from its mistakes and capitalize on its strengths.
According to Ferrari performance engineer Jock Clear, the key to the team's success in Austin was the understanding gained from their disappointing performance at the Austrian Grand Prix earlier in the season.
Both circuits share similarities, and the lessons learned at the Red Bull Ring proved crucial in optimizing the car's setup for the Circuit of the Americas.
"There were things we did on the set-up; I think we got it wrong in Austria, which is a very similar circuit to Austin, funnily enough,” Clear explained, quoted by Motorsport.com.
"Not absolutely true, but the aspects of Austin that worked for us were a result of what we didn't get working in Austria.
"So effectively, the package was very similar. Obviously, we brought upgrades in Singapore, we brought upgrades in Italy that were generic [not track-specific].
"I think Austin was a proof of that package. But more than that, what we did correctly in Austin was correcting the errors we made in Austria in terms of set-up."
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Furthermore, Clear dismissed rumors of significant changes to Ferrari's front wing design, which had sparked speculation about potential aerodynamic advantages.
It was suggested that following last summer's scrutiny surrounding Mercedes and McLaren's front wings and their level of flexing under load, that Ferrari had perhaps followed their rivals' lead and instilled a degree of resilience into their own aero element.
But Clear emphasized that the team has been working within the rules and hasn't made any drastic modifications.
"I think that what you're talking about there is specifically a fairly questionable discussion," he said.
"We don't know what other teams are doing. We only know what we're doing on our car. We interpret the rules in the way that we think is the correct interpretation and the FIA have never questioned any of our interpretation of the rules.
©Ferrari
"We continue to develop as much as we can and as fast as we can within the scope of the rules. We haven't changed anything.
"If we look at what other people do, we can only guess what actually is going on. We can't do physical tests on it. We could only work on our own car and we are comfortable with the development, pretty much since Austria .
"And since the summer break, we've really got a grip of what direction to go in, both on the development and on the set-up."
In summary, Clear says Ferrari's recent success has been rooted in refined development, not in bending the rules.
As the Scuderia continues to solidify its position near the front of the grid, the lessons from earlier struggles and their methodical approach to set-up changes are evidently paying off, evidenced by their commanding results in Austin.
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