What's behind Austin's shaken-up F1 sprint grid?
The Formula 1 sprint grid at the United States Grand Prix has been a rollercoaster, with a Sauber, an Aston Martin, and two Williams causing a stir among the top teams. It's not just about Nico Hulkenberg's impressive fourth place for Sauber; it's a broader trend. Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin in sixth and Williams' strategic maneuvers pushing Ferrari to eighth and tenth positions suggest a deeper issue at play.
Carlos Sainz, who secured seventh place in his Williams, expressed his confusion: "It's weird. We see a few midfield cars mixing it up with the top teams here. Fernando and Nico have been quick since practice, and I managed to join the fray. So, I don't understand why, on a challenging track with high downforce, midfield cars are battling the top eight."
Sainz wasn't alone in seeking answers. After a challenging day for Ferrari, Charles Leclerc pointed out that Hulkenberg's performance with a customer Ferrari engine was a mystery his team needed to unravel. Leclerc acknowledged the surprise, saying, "It's very surprising to see teams that are strong this weekend, excluding McLaren and Red Bull, which is expected. Nico's performance was outstanding, but he's been consistently fast. We need to understand if they've discovered something we missed."
Hulkenberg, known for his qualifying struggles, couldn't provide a definitive explanation, attributing his success to a quick Sauber car. He mentioned, "In FP1, things looked promising, but it seemed too good to be true. We weren't sure if it was genuine or if others were ahead in their programs. The pace was there, and the car felt fast, hitting the sweet spot."
The key to this performance variation might lie in ride heights. The current generation of cars is highly sensitive to their proximity to the ground, maximizing downforce when as low as possible. The challenge is finding the perfect balance between low ride heights and avoiding disqualification due to excessive floor wear. Some teams, like Ferrari, have struggled with this, as noted in a previous article.
The smoothness of the track surface plays a significant role. Silky smooth circuits allow teams to run low, while bumpy venues force compromises, leading to higher ride heights. Austin's Circuit of the Americas is notorious for its bumps, and this year's surface seems worse than in previous years.
Max Verstappen, the sprint pole-winner, confirmed the need for ride height adjustments due to the track's evolution. He stated, "The track got bumpier this year, making it challenging to drive. We made minor adjustments to the car, which improved qualifying."
Sauber's sporting director, Inaki Rueda, revealed that his team's car has specific ride height sensitivities, mirroring Aston Martin's preferences. The ideal scenario for both teams involves high downforce and smooth surfaces, allowing them to run low.
Aston Martin's chief technical officer, Enrico Cardile, provided insight into their Belgian GP performance, attributing it to a combination of aero efficiency and running the car too high. He explained, "The track presents unique corner challenges, forcing us to maintain a minimum ride height to avoid bottoming out, which affects our performance."
Rueda believes Sauber faces similar challenges, requiring a combination of track characteristics to excel. He stated, "We're competing in high downforce conditions, but it's not the only factor. Smoothness is crucial. Our car's performance relies on running as low as possible to the ground, and smooth circuits enable us to achieve that."
The question arises: why are Sauber and Aston Martin competitive on a bumpy track? Two critical factors come into play. Firstly, the severe bumps force everyone to compromise, putting everyone in the same boat. Secondly, the sprint format may provide a false performance picture. The risk of aggressive low ride heights is disqualification, as seen in Lewis Hamilton's case in China. However, the shorter sprint distance allows teams to push boundaries, as the plank only needs to last one-third of the race distance.
Rueda acknowledged this, saying, "You can take a more aggressive approach. We can measure skid after the sprint and assess how we would have performed with different ride heights for the race."
The confirmation of Austin's shaken-up sprint grid order will come if teams cannot replicate their performance in the main event, indicating that some teams might have been overly aggressive with ride heights, knowing they could get away with it for 19 laps on Saturday.
