The weekends with the sprint format represent a real hunting ground for Charles Leclerc, who during the season has repeatedly shown that he knows how to extract something more from the single-seater when there is little time to intervene on the set-ups, making it fundamental the preparatory work carried out in the factory. An aspect that the Monegasque wanted to mention in the interviews following the conclusion of qualifying, thanking the team for what they had done in the previous weeks.
Also on this occasion, the Cavallino standard bearer was not unprepared and, on a circuit more congenial to the characteristics of the SF-23 than that of Qatar, the Red car returned ahead of everyone on the flying lap, repeating the exploits of Baku, Monza and Singapore. Austin is in fact a complete track that does not feature just one type of corner, but rather numerous challenges that highlight the different peculiarities of the cars.
In the exploit of the Cavallino single-seater on Texan soil there are several crucial aspects that have fit together like a perfect puzzle. On the one hand Leclerc’s talent on the flying lap, who also on this occasion pulled off a good qualifying, especially with how he approached the first sector at the end, on the other there are elements of a more technical nature. The new tire proved to be an excellent ally in the pursuit of the time trial, an issue that made it possible to compensate for some limitations which, realistically, will be seen more in the race. Furthermore, the low intensity of the wind did not negatively influence the SF-23 as in other events, where the gusts unbalanced the car at fast speeds, taking away the drivers’ confidence.
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari
Observing Leclerc’s behavior in the first sector during the entire qualifying session, it is interesting to note how the representative of the Red team sought a particular approach, progressively improving his times, and then giving the final blow in the last attempt, the one which earned the second pole of the season. In fact, between the first and second run of Q3 we can highlight a significant improvement of around a tenth and a half, the largest among those who carried out both laps with new tyres.
A delta mainly due to two factors, namely the interpretation of curve one and that of the subsequent snake. In the only free practice session, on several occasions the engineers had signaled to the Monegasque the need to improve braking on turn one, especially in the phase of maximum pedal pressure: undoubtedly a challenge that was anything but simple, because in that area there is a bump that many riders immediately complained about, as it takes away confidence when braking. With a slightly different and more aggressive approach in the last run, Leclerc managed to make a difference on the previous attempt, not so much from the point of view of minimum speed during travel, but precisely in the braking and insertion phase.
On the contrary, precisely on that stretch of track, Verstappen was the author of a micro-lock which led him to miss the apex point, an aspect which compromised not only the travel phase but also the exit, so much so as to worsen the his references also compared to the opening run of Q3. Well aware of having lost time already at the beginning of the lap, the Dutchman then decided to dare in the rest of the lap, also pushing into that turn 19 which then took him beyond the limits of the track with the subsequent cancellation of the time trial. Looking at the data, in turn one the Red Bull driver recorded a speed 11 km/h lower than the Ferrari driver and 6 km/h lower in comparison with Norris.
Photo by: Gianluca D’Alessandro
USA Qualifying Comparison – Verstappen Leclerc
That smudge compromised the traction phase, not only because Verstappen was therefore forced to stay on the brakes longer, but also because he had to delay returning to the accelerator compared to his two rivals, who in fact showed good progression towards the fast sequence. However, a few moments later the three-time world champion immediately managed to make up for it, already in the first part of the serpentine: unlike Leclerc and Norris, who had to divide in turn five, the Dutchman managed to cover the stretch in full, without lifting your foot from the accelerator, confirming the stability guaranteed by the RB19. This allowed him to increase the speed by about twenty km/h, recovering around a tenth and a half over his rivals.
Shifting the focus, it is interesting to note the behavior of the SF-23 between turns six and ten, because it highlights both the strengths and weaknesses of the car at the same time. In turn six, a long, fast corner where there are generally no major limitations in terms of understeer, Leclerc was able to play on the accelerator and managed to match Verstappen’s speed. On the contrary, in turns eight and nine, sections where the car’s handling and precision are very important, the limits of the Maranello single-seater emerge more.
Although in the eight Leclerc shows a higher speed than Verstappen, this also derives from the different interpretation of the Red Bull driver, who then manages to make the difference with a significantly superior output. In this case there are aspects in common with what was seen at Suzuka, a track which has many guided sections in which one is forced to cut down decisively or completely lift one’s foot from the accelerator.
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-23
It is also interesting to point out the fact that Norris was particularly fast in this section, which does not come as a total surprise, because the qualities of the MCL60 in this type of corner had already been seen at Silverstone, more specifically in the last part of the snake. Furthermore, the Briton showed a particularly aggressive approach on the curbs, trying to cut as much as possible along the way. A theme on which to focus attention, because in FP1 McLaren worked intensely on the heights from the ground, trying different set-ups to find the right balance that would allow the car to run as low as possible but without suffering excessively from the roughness of the asphalt .
However, the Red Team was able to recover progressively up to the braking point at turn eleven, another area where the SF-23 showed good qualities, particularly in the traction phase, both against the McLaren and the Red Bull.
As on other occasions, on the following straight the Cavallino team dominated, even if there are some elements to point out. First of all, McLaren did not show obvious signs of derating or significantly lower speeds, as in the case of Mercedes, even though the latter is quite busy: this also represents a partial confirmation of what was seen in previous events, namely that the With the latest package, the Woking team managed to make small improvements also in terms of overall efficiency, an aspect on which the team was actually working intensely. Red Bull, however, is further behind and clearly pays for the choice of a very loaded rear wing compared to its rivals which should provide its benefits more over the long distance: most of the gap, in fact, is evident precisely in the first part of the draw length, while with the DRS open the RB19 reaches slightly lower maximums than those recorded by the Ferrari.
Photo by: Gianluca D’Alessandro
USA Qualifying Comparison – Norris Leclerc
The Red Bull harks back to the braking that concludes the long straight, with good braking stability which also guaranteed a quick entry into turn twelve, the point at which Leclerc probably made his most obvious mistake by missing the apex.
In the next sequence, the slowest one on the track, the drivers opted for different interpretations, depending on which phase of the curve was to be favoured. Overall, in fact, the gap has remained almost unchanged, if not for the clear fluctuations due to the different approaches. What is interesting to point out, however, is Leclerc’s choice to completely sacrifice the entry to turn fifteen to focus on the exit, with good acceleration which is also evident in the progression maintained until the start of the long bend. Net of this aspect, however, it is important to mention how the SF-23 performed admirably in the triple fast curve 16-17-18, as during the course of the season in those sections to be covered in full the Cavallino single-seater has always shown signs encouraging.
If the long bend highlighted the goodness of the Maranello car, turn 19 instead showed off its limits. It is a difficult corner, in which the balance varies completely, which requires maximum precision from the front when entering during the tail braking phase and when traveling to contain understeer. In this case, Ferrari clearly suffered when compared to its rivals: although in the last attempt Leclerc was not as competitive as in the first run, probably also due to having made greater use of the tires in the opening sector of the lap , the gap from Red Bull and McLaren still proved to be large, around 20 km/h.
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19
Although it is true that Verstappen went slightly over the white line on his last attempt, which then led to the time being cancelled, in reality his reference on the previous attempt was also extremely competitive.
In the absence of references on long-runs, also because during FP1 few teams completed a continuous stint with a lot of fuel on board, it is difficult to say too much ahead of the race. However, it is useful to mention that part of the advantage recorded by Ferrari in qualifying derives from sections in which the drivers will necessarily be forced to save during the race, such as in the long bend. Last year, to try to keep up with the pace of his opponents in the second part of the race, Leclerc forced the pace in the snake, a section in which other teams had a margin for tire management, accentuating tire degradation.
It will therefore be interesting to understand how Ferrari will work to balance consumption over the long distance, but not before having set its sights on the sprint, where the Cavallino hopes to be able to perform well and collect a good result. Nor should the fact be underestimated that, should the same trend as Friday be confirmed, in the Sprint Shootout the asphalt temperatures should be around 5/6°C lower than in qualifying, also influencing the preparation work and use of the tires .
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