Ferrari targets Montreal boost with new turbo for Vettel

Ferrari will seek extra power from a new-spec turbo, plus enhanced tyre grip in qualifying from rear-suspension development, in this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix.

The Scuderia will install the new turbo on Sebastian Vettel’s third power unit of the season for this weekend's race around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. This modification is set to cost three engine tokens.

This follows the upgrade before the Russian GP, which also used three tokens. It will give Vettel the chance to recoup more energy with the MGU-H.

The intention is to increase the boost – to take better advantage of the potential of the ERS, especially in qualifying.

Mattia Binotto, head of Ferrari's Power Unit department, said: “The hybrid system is important [in Canada], because the main straight requires to deliver all the power, and make sure that in the mixed part of the circuit you are correctly recovering the energy and getting the energy storage quite full by the time you accelerate our of the hairpin and onto the main straight.”

As well as the upgrades to the power unit, Shell will bring a new fuel to make the most of the new engine mapping, with improved efficiency to boot.

Suspension upgraded too

Ferrari's SF16-H will also feature modified rear suspension in Canada.

After a disastrous qualifying in Monaco, where Vettel was unable to improve on his Q2 time in Q3 and complained bitterly on his in-lap that the car "just got worse".

The team has attempted resolve the lack of mechanical grip, which has prevented the Pirelli tyres from working in the right operating window. Its pull-rod rear suspension system doesn’t seem to provide the rigidity necessary to find traction exiting corners.

"We know the problem is related to how our car works with the tyres," said team boss Maurizio Arrivabene in Monaco.

"We have to work and solve this problem, because if we cannot start in the top positions then we face problems that should not be ours."