Verstappen in front, Ferrari starts better than expected, but watch out for McLaren
After watching the first free practice session of the Qatar Grand Prix it is quite clear that the teams will have to proceed almost gropingly to define the structures. The only hour available saw a track with new asphalt, very slippery and covered in sand, with drivers and teams trying to learn as much as possible from the very short time available on the track, before freezing set-ups and mapping with parc fermé. for the qualification which will take place already in the evening. The absence of accidents and interruptions allowed everyone to carry out the set work programme, which was very intense for everyone, but drawing conclusions from what was seen on the track is difficult if not impossible.
Ferrari starts discreetly, but there are no references from its direct rivals
The Qatar track it should be one of the most difficult for the SF-23exalting its loading and aerodynamic stability defects, but the start of Sainz and Leclerc was not as difficult as one might have feared. The first sector, with the slowest curves of the track, appeared to be a good rallying ground for the Ferrari drivers, who then had to defend themselves especially in the third sector, where the wind tended to break the fragile aerodynamic balance of the Maranello single-seater, partly bringing that ‘unpredictability often seen in the season, albeit to a decidedly lesser extent, at least for now. Red Bull for its part appeared fast but not entirely ready, remembering that the Milton Keynes team is one of those that tends to need track work more than the others and that, therefore, it is usually a bit troubled on weekends with the sprint race format. Verstappen still found the best time at the end of the session, but he may not have an easy life for victory, especially looking at McLaren.
Still steep learning curve for everyone
It should also be noted that the learning curve of the track is still incredibly steep for both teams and drivers. From the comparison graph between the data of Sainz’s lap and that of Verstappen we notice significant differences in driving settings in all the most challenging points of the track, a sign that the drivers are still experimenting, in search of the most effective technique. We see it in the very fast passage to turn 9 and then in the super sequence 12-13-14 where Sainz faces number 12 a good 15 km/h slower than Verstappen but exits number 14 even 11 faster.
McLaren hidden but with great potential
The Woking team have only a small part of the car’s potential was shown, given that both Norris and Piastri only ran on hard tyres, but the impression is that the Lusail track is congenial to the MCL60 and that at least in qualifying both McLaren drivers will concretely try to challenge Verstappen for pole and front row. A bit like what happened at Silverstone and was directly reported by the Dutch driver himself, when two cars have an overall level of load that is not too different, as is happening at the moment between Red Bull and McLaren, and they are all on new tyres, it makes a marked difference in time. in fast corners alone it is more difficult than on tracks with slower corners and more violent braking. Furthermore, given that the set-up will be locked for both the sprint and the race, and the degradation is expected to be very high, it is very likely that Red Bull will maximize tire management once again, potentially leaving some space for flying lap competition.
Mercedes and Aston to be “translated”
In such a confusing session it turned out instead It’s difficult to understand the real value of Mercedes and Aston Martin on the track. The former appeared lively in the early stages, but both Hamilton and Russell only tried hard and medium tyres, without running on the softer compound. The Brackley team seems to have a little more strength at the rear compared to the last weekend in Suzuka, but the data we have seen are certainly not the definitive ones: we will see what they will change in the set-up and how they will approach qualifying and the race. The one who seems to have started very well is Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin. The Asturian also recorded his best time on the medium tyre, but showed some significant strengths of his AMR23, including a front that appeared more solid than seen in recent races, followed well by a well-balanced rear. balanced. However, the car from Stroll’s team seems to be a step backwards certainly compared to Red Bull and McLaren, and probably also to Ferrari, but not as far away as often happened in this second phase of the championship. Ultimately, the format of the weekend and the unprepared track make it difficult to interpret a single hour of free practice. The impression is that there could be a battle for pole between McLaren and Red Bull, but we’ll find out shortly with qualifying.
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