Ferrari arrives in Austria with feelings and hopes quite different from those with which it concluded the Spanish GP, where on Saturday and Sunday it was never really able to challenge the real protagonists of the weekend, namely McLaren and Red Bull.
Indeed, although some elements have negatively influenced the performance of the SF-24, such as the return of bouncing or some strategic choices that did not pay off as hoped, in the order of values on the field the negative weekend also made it slip behind the Mercedes .
Ferrari was aware of the difficulties it would encounter in Spain, partly because the SF-24 still struggles to digest the slow and very long corners, where there is a lot of work to be done on the front, partly because of the very fast corners where the Italian car he had already shown some signs of suffering in other events in the world championship. Added to this was bouncing, a phenomenon which, due to its aerodynamic and mechanical characteristics, tends to emerge in Barcelona but which, after three seasons, it was hoped had now been eradicated.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24
Photo by: Ferrari
Despite these problems, as the drivers admitted both at the end of qualifying and after the race, such a large gap from the top was not expected, especially after what we saw on Friday when the gap seemed smaller. McLaren and Red Bull had something more in their pocket, with potential that only emerged when it really mattered.
In Austria, however, the story should be different, first and foremost because it is a layout with very different technical challenges. Fewer slow and prolonged corners, but also a smaller number of very high speed corners where the bouncing phenomenon could occur, which certainly needs to be resolved also by working on the setup. At the Red Bull Ring there are several elements that can make a difference, such as the management of the traction or braking phase, an aspect in which the Red Bull often showed positive indications before the Spanish stage.
Overall, Charles Leclerc believes that Ferrari still needs something to make a leap forward but, on the other hand, he believes that there is some untapped potential in the car. In Canada the conditions and the difficulties in switching on the tires had made the difference, while in Barcelona there was simply a lack of performance. However, the Monegasque believes that, by optimizing the package, there is still some margin to be found, with the indications on the simulator having left positive sensations.
“I think the gap between us and pole position was two or three tenths in Barcelona, so we need that. However, I feel the potential is in the car. We just need to optimize our package and then we’ll get back to where we want,” said Leclerc.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
“We didn’t do that in Montreal, especially with the tires and the conditions, which were a bit outside our operating window, and then in Barcelona we weren’t fast enough. But once again, the simulator preparation for this track went well, so I’m confident we’ll be back fighting.”
“We struggled especially in the long, slow corners, while here in Austria they are a little less so. It’s a good sign for us. But we are also working on this, to have a better car in those corners, and I think in the last few races we have made good steps forward, even if we then struggled in other corners, so we just have to put everything together. But we are working on it and I am confident that this weekend will go well”, added the Ferrari driver, who is aiming for a good result where in 2022 he collected his last in a Grand Prix at the end affected by an accelerator problem.
After the events that occurred in Spain, where a heated discussion after the race brought to light some points of conflict with his teammate, Leclerc returned to what happened, underlining how everything is now a thing of the past. It is not the first time that the two come to a heated confrontation, and then calmly find a meeting point in meetings with the team or on other occasions, as happened this time too.
“As for our relationship, I have no doubts or concerns. We returned on Sunday evening with the same plane, it was a matter of seeing each other and everything is fine. We discussed, as always, and I think from the outside the problem always seems enormous. But then we have known each other so well, for so many years, that we know that there is tension after the race”, added Leclerc, explaining how things had calmed down already in the hours following the race, when the two had the opportunity to clarify face to face.
Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Ferrari, Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
“We’re both in the heat of the moment, disappointed in each other, and then we talk together, and everything’s fine. So, I’m not at all worried about the future of our relationship. There was some tension, which has happened in the past, and maybe not the last time, but as many times as we managed to manage it by talking to each other, then everything was fine in the future . And it’s always the same. So, I’m not worried at all.”
Finally, the Monegasque addressed the track limit issue, which had caused controversy last year due to the numerous violations that had led the race commissioners to review over 1000 incidents, with a consequent delay in communicating the violations.
Starting this season, the FIA has taken precautionary measures, inserting a gravel strip in addition to the curb, as well as a computer vision recognition system for passages beyond the white line. In general, the measures have been reweighted in such a way that crossing the white line causes the driver to end up right on the gravel, where there is a risk of damaging the car, as a sort of deterrent.
“This is an interesting solution. I saw some pictures. I’m in the last two corners, which were already difficult enough before the addition of the gravel that we have in those corners now. But I think it’s now pretty clear where the edge of the runway is and that we won’t have these kinds of problems anymore, which is good. I have to drive on the track to tell you exactly what I think, but on paper it looks positive,” explained the Ferrarista.
#Leclerc #SF24 #potential #Austria #fighting