
Giorgio Piola's F1 technical analysis
2019 tech verdict: Ferrari founders, but then finds form
Join us as we delve into Giorgio Piola’s 2019 archive and bring you insight into the relentless development undertaken by the teams throughout a season in the pursuit of more performance. In today’s gallery we will focus on… Ferrari.

After winning the pre-season testing war, this was the year that Ferrari was supposed to truly challenge Mercedes for the world championship. So what went wrong?
Besides Bahrain, where newcomer Charles Leclerc was robbed of a first win due to an engine problem, its early-season form was poor and a lack of downforce was apparent. Only when the season hit the lower-downforce or power-dependent circuits – like Montreal, the Red Bull Ring, Spa and Monza – did the slippery SF90 truly come into its own.
Its power output soon became a focus of attention, with rivals seeking FIA technical clarifications in an attempt to negate its advantage. Ferrari did make decent steps with its car’s balance and downforce levels as the season developed, proved by Sebastian Vettel's win in Singapore, but by the time it was in a position to challenge Mercedes the title race was already over.
Click on the arrows on the images below to scroll through them…
Ferrari SF90 side detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Ferrari SF90 floor

Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Ferrari SF90 DRS

Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Ferrari SF90 front brakes comparison

Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Ferrari SF90 floor Azerbaijan GP

Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Ferrari SF90 detail front wing Azerbaijan GP

Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Ferrari SF90 front wing endplate

Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Ferrari SF90 front wing endplate comparsion

Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Ferrari SF90 front brakes, Austrian GP

Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Ferrari SF90, rear wing endplate

Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Ferrari SF90, nose

Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Ferrari SF90, nose

Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Ferrari SF90, bargeboard

Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Ferrari SF90 front wing

Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Ferrari SF90, front wing comparison

Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Ferrari SF90, floor

Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Ferrari SF90, exhausts comparison

Read Also:
- 2019 tech verdict: Red Bull becomes a disruptor with Honda
- 2019 tech verdict: McLaren on the road to recovery
- 2019 tech verdict: Renault reaches ahead, but falls back
- 2019 tech verdict: Podium joy as Toro Rosso jumps forward
- 2019 tech verdict: Racing Point shows encouraging signs
- 2019 tech verdict: Alfa’s battle to find consistency
- 2019 tech verdict: Haas suffers a season to forget
- 2019 tech verdict: How Williams struggled from the start

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About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Teams | Ferrari |
Author | Giorgio Piola |
2019 tech verdict: Ferrari founders, but then finds form
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