Tomorrow could be an important day for Ferrari which, with the first position obtained by Charles Leclerc, has put itself in the best conditions to try to challenge Max Verstappen in the race, the one who more than anyone else during this season has made performance in the race is its strong point.
As has already happened on other occasions, the Maranello team proved to be among the protagonists of the qualifying, achieving a pole which represents the first step towards trying to achieve an important result in the race. A 1-2 by Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz which gives us hope, even if, in reality, tomorrow there won’t be two SF-23s opening the field in the front row. Due to the penalty received following the replacement of the battery on Carlos Sainz’s car, the Spaniard will in fact be forced to start from the sixth row, leaving second place to Verstappen, who will try to take the lead of the race right from the start .
Although this will not allow us to play with two strikers, an aspect that could undoubtedly have helped the Red team in the fight against the Dutch Red Bull, the objective is still to hunt for the second victory of the season. However, a pole came in a weekend in which, for now, Ferrari has always proven to be competitive and fast and this is probably the most encouraging sign.
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Poleman Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari
“Overall the result is very positive. Doing a one-two in qualifying on the first weekend here in Las Vegas… But more than the pole is the fact that we were in front in every session, it’s a good preparation for tomorrow’s race. We know that Carlos’ penalty will have to be served tomorrow and it’s a shame, but that he also showed a fast and constant pace in free practice, we can be optimistic”, explained Frederic Vasseur during interviews with Sky Sport’s microphones.
“I’m focused on tomorrow. Qualifying is important, but it is only a step, it is not the final result. We had long stints and were very consistent in performance, so we need to focus on ourselves and the strategy. We know that it will probably be a chaotic Grand Prix with Safety Cars and other similar cases. But we must focus on our own performance, without thinking about others. I hope we do a good job tomorrow.”
Clearly the topic of the penalty imposed on Sainz is still a burning one, especially because it will have a clear impact on the Spaniard’s race, who will have to start from the twelfth spot on the grid. Considering that the damage was not attributable to the responsibility of the team or the driver, the Cavallino team tried to ask the commissioners for an exception, who however responded negatively, underlining that they did not have the authority to guarantee an exception and that , consequently, the regulation had to be followed to the letter. While defining the penalty as unfair, Vasseur tried to leave this issue behind, also because continuing to think about it will not change the progress of the weekend.
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-23
“Undoubtedly. I would have preferred to start with a first and a second place rather than a first and a twelfth, obviously. But this is the situation and I think the most important thing for the team is to stay focused on tomorrow’s race without talking too much about the penalty. We know it’s a bit unfair, but now we have to focus on the race,” Vasseur. Regarding a possible refund request, as was the case for Haas in 2017 after Romain Grosjean’s car was damaged due to a track-related problem, the Team Principal explained that it will be a topic that will be addressed after the weekend: “I think we will have to discuss this situation on Monday. But until Saturday evening, I want to focus only on the sporting aspect. Then there will be time to discuss other topics.”
If on the flying lap the high top speeds and the good mechanical qualities of the car, combined with the superior grip offered by the softer compound, showcased the car’s strong points, on the other hand in the race it will be important to make the you really have to deal with tire management. The most concrete risk is that there may be a lot of graining due to the low temperatures and the shape of the track, which could negatively affect the performance and life of the tyres.
For this reason, it cannot be ruled out that teams will move towards harder tyres, which generally guarantee greater flexibility: “I think that many teams have thought that tomorrow the temperature could be even colder, so there could be some graining that pushes you to use hard tires rather than soft ones.”
#Vasseur #Optimistic #race #penalty