If you don’t dare, the only certainty is that you miss an opportunity. The progress confirmed in Turkey by Ferrari, thanks to the ‘vitamins’ guaranteed by the power unit number 4, allowed Charles Leclerc and the Scuderia to play a gamble, not particularly risky but undoubtedly of great charm.
After thirty-five laps of the race, Leclerc was third, two seconds behind Max Verstappen and seven seconds behind leader Valtteri Bottas, thanks to a very fast and constant pace that allowed the Monegasque to remain attached to the two leaders.
In the first half of the race, Charles, in some phases, was even faster than Verstappen, forced (somewhat surprisingly) to watch his back from the redhead.
When Bottas and Verstappen returned to the pits for the pit stop (laps 37 and 36 respectively) Leclerc took command of the race. At that point, the Ferrari wall faced two scenarios: to return to the pits and continue the race managing the third position, or to try to place a surprise shot.
Until that moment the riders who had moved on to a second set of intermediates (Alonso and Ricciardo) had not confirmed a significant change of pace, and even the unknowns related to the possibility that the track became slick still had no answer.
Leclerc and the Ferrari strategists have decided to continue. If the track had become a slick Charles would have become the number 1 candidate to conquer the Turkish Grand Prix, but there was also another possibility, which was to finish the race without a new set of tires and try to contain Verstappen’s comeback. since Bottas was confirmed much faster than Charles in just a few laps.
Fifteen seconds behind Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton also tried to play the same wild card, continuing the race praying to see a dry trajectory as soon as possible. The wish was not fulfilled, however, the asphalt remained in limbo which allowed only the use of intermediates, and on lap 47 Leclerc had to return to the pits for the pit stop which relegated him to fourth position.
“It would have been very, very difficult to finish the race without stopping – commented Leclerc – the rear tires were really finished when I entered the pit lane for the change, and that’s why I stopped. When our rivals made their pit stop I saw that I was keeping the pace, but after a few laps the graining that slowed them down cleared and they started to find a lot more performance. “
“At that point we understood that we should have stopped too. I made my pit stop out of sync with the other riders and so I didn’t have time to get through the graining phase and respond to the attacks. It’s a shame I lost the position. podium but the performance has been seen and this is undoubtedly a reason for satisfaction ”.
Last year, Ferrari took third place in the Turkish Grand Prix (with Sebastian Vettel) without giving the impression of being there, while fourth place arrived twelve months later, despite bringing three points less, has a greater specific weight.
Carlos Sainz Jr, Ferrari, is interviewed after the race
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
A confirmation also came from the good comeback of Carlos Sainz, who with eighth place brought the Scuderia’s stage haul to sixteen points, now seven and a half points behind McLaren in the Constructors’ classification. Sainz’s result could have been better without a pit stop problem, but the Spaniard looks at the glass that is definitely more full than empty.
“We must have no regrets – commented Carlos – it was a very positive day, in which I managed to have an excellent pace, completing some good overtakes and minimizing the penalty linked to the engine penalty, which was the goal. I had a lot of fun during the race, especially in the first stint, when it was possible to overtake because there was no dry line. And that’s why I can’t be disappointed, of course, there is always a little thought about what I could have done without with the slow pit stop, since it forced me to get back on track behind Ocon and I lost a lot of time, but I’m happy like this “.
Between Sochi and Istanbul, Ferrari hopes to have overcome the engine hurdle. An important step in the Scuderia’s season, which not only smartened the fourth power unit (a problem shared with the rivals) but brought more performing engines to the track, and this is now a fact. At Maranello they minimize, but the change of pace seen in Russia was confirmed even more clearly in the weekend in Istanbul, allowing Leclerc to return to play with the greats and to be able to try a chance to go back to dreaming.
If you don’t dare, the only certainty is that you miss an opportunity. The progress confirmed in Turkey by Ferrari, thanks to the ‘vitamins’ guaranteed by the power unit number 4, allowed Charles Leclerc and the Scuderia to play a gamble, not particularly risky but undoubtedly of great charm.
After thirty-five laps of the race, Leclerc was third, two seconds behind Max Verstappen and seven seconds behind leader Valtteri Bottas, thanks to a very fast and constant pace that allowed the Monegasque to remain attached to the two leaders.
In the first half of the race, Charles, in some phases, was even faster than Verstappen, forced (somewhat surprisingly) to watch his back from the redhead.
When Bottas and Verstappen returned to the pits for the pit stop (laps 37 and 36 respectively) Leclerc took command of the race. At that point, the Ferrari wall faced two scenarios: to return to the pits and continue the race managing the third position, or to try to place a surprise shot.
Until that moment the riders who had moved on to a second set of intermediates (Alonso and Ricciardo) had not confirmed a significant change of pace, and even the unknowns related to the possibility that the track became slick still had no answer.
Leclerc and the Ferrari strategists have decided to continue. If the track had become a slick Charles would have become the number 1 candidate to conquer the Turkish Grand Prix, but there was also another possibility, which was to finish the race without a new set of tires and try to contain Verstappen’s comeback. since Bottas was confirmed much faster than Charles in just a few laps.
Fifteen seconds behind Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton also tried to play the same wild card, continuing the race praying to see a dry trajectory as soon as possible. The wish was not fulfilled, however, the asphalt remained in limbo which allowed only the use of intermediates, and on lap 47 Leclerc had to return to the pits for the pit stop which relegated him to fourth position.
“It would have been very, very difficult to finish the race without stopping – commented Leclerc – the rear tires were really finished when I entered the pit lane for the change, and that’s why I stopped. When our rivals made their pit stop I saw that I was keeping the pace, but after a few laps the graining that slowed them down cleared and they started to find a lot more performance. “
“At that point we understood that we should have stopped too. I made my pit stop out of sync with the other riders and so I didn’t have time to get through the graining phase and respond to the attacks. It’s a shame I lost the position. podium but the performance has been seen and this is undoubtedly a reason for satisfaction ”.
Last year, Ferrari took third place in the Turkish Grand Prix (with Sebastian Vettel) without giving the impression of being there, while fourth place arrived twelve months later, despite bringing three points less, has a greater specific weight.
Carlos Sainz Jr, Ferrari, is interviewed after the race
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
A confirmation also came from the good comeback of Carlos Sainz, who with eighth place brought the Scuderia’s stage haul to sixteen points, now seven and a half points behind McLaren in the Constructors’ classification. Sainz’s result could have been better without a pit stop problem, but the Spaniard looks at the glass that is definitely more full than empty.
“We must have no regrets – commented Carlos – it was a very positive day, in which I managed to have an excellent pace, completing some good overtakes and minimizing the penalty linked to the engine penalty, which was the goal. I had a lot of fun during the race, especially in the first stint, when it was possible to overtake because there was no dry line. And that’s why I can’t be disappointed, of course, there is always a little thought about what I could have done without with the slow pit stop, since it forced me to get back on track behind Ocon and I lost a lot of time, but I’m happy like this “.
Between Sochi and Istanbul, Ferrari hopes to have overcome the engine hurdle. An important step in the Scuderia’s season, which not only smartened the fourth power unit (a problem shared with the rivals) but brought more performing engines to the track, and this is now a fact. At Maranello they minimize, but the change of pace seen in Russia was confirmed even more clearly in the weekend in Istanbul, allowing Leclerc to return to play with the greats and to be able to try a chance to go back to dreaming.
If you don’t dare, the only certainty is that you miss an opportunity. The progress confirmed in Turkey by Ferrari, thanks to the ‘vitamins’ guaranteed by the power unit number 4, allowed Charles Leclerc and the Scuderia to play a gamble, not particularly risky but undoubtedly of great charm.
After thirty-five laps of the race, Leclerc was third, two seconds behind Max Verstappen and seven seconds behind leader Valtteri Bottas, thanks to a very fast and constant pace that allowed the Monegasque to remain attached to the two leaders.
In the first half of the race, Charles, in some phases, was even faster than Verstappen, forced (somewhat surprisingly) to watch his back from the redhead.
When Bottas and Verstappen returned to the pits for the pit stop (laps 37 and 36 respectively) Leclerc took command of the race. At that point, the Ferrari wall faced two scenarios: to return to the pits and continue the race managing the third position, or to try to place a surprise shot.
Until that moment the riders who had moved on to a second set of intermediates (Alonso and Ricciardo) had not confirmed a significant change of pace, and even the unknowns related to the possibility that the track became slick still had no answer.
Leclerc and the Ferrari strategists have decided to continue. If the track had become a slick Charles would have become the number 1 candidate to conquer the Turkish Grand Prix, but there was also another possibility, which was to finish the race without a new set of tires and try to contain Verstappen’s comeback. since Bottas was confirmed much faster than Charles in just a few laps.
Fifteen seconds behind Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton also tried to play the same wild card, continuing the race praying to see a dry trajectory as soon as possible. The wish was not fulfilled, however, the asphalt remained in limbo which allowed only the use of intermediates, and on lap 47 Leclerc had to return to the pits for the pit stop which relegated him to fourth position.
“It would have been very, very difficult to finish the race without stopping – commented Leclerc – the rear tires were really finished when I entered the pit lane for the change, and that’s why I stopped. When our rivals made their pit stop I saw that I was keeping the pace, but after a few laps the graining that slowed them down cleared and they started to find a lot more performance. “
“At that point we understood that we should have stopped too. I made my pit stop out of sync with the other riders and so I didn’t have time to get through the graining phase and respond to the attacks. It’s a shame I lost the position. podium but the performance has been seen and this is undoubtedly a reason for satisfaction ”.
Last year, Ferrari took third place in the Turkish Grand Prix (with Sebastian Vettel) without giving the impression of being there, while fourth place arrived twelve months later, despite bringing three points less, has a greater specific weight.
Carlos Sainz Jr, Ferrari, is interviewed after the race
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
A confirmation also came from the good comeback of Carlos Sainz, who with eighth place brought the Scuderia’s stage haul to sixteen points, now seven and a half points behind McLaren in the Constructors’ classification. Sainz’s result could have been better without a pit stop problem, but the Spaniard looks at the glass that is definitely more full than empty.
“We must have no regrets – commented Carlos – it was a very positive day, in which I managed to have an excellent pace, completing some good overtakes and minimizing the penalty linked to the engine penalty, which was the goal. I had a lot of fun during the race, especially in the first stint, when it was possible to overtake because there was no dry line. And that’s why I can’t be disappointed, of course, there is always a little thought about what I could have done without with the slow pit stop, since it forced me to get back on track behind Ocon and I lost a lot of time, but I’m happy like this “.
Between Sochi and Istanbul, Ferrari hopes to have overcome the engine hurdle. An important step in the Scuderia’s season, which not only smartened the fourth power unit (a problem shared with the rivals) but brought more performing engines to the track, and this is now a fact. At Maranello they minimize, but the change of pace seen in Russia was confirmed even more clearly in the weekend in Istanbul, allowing Leclerc to return to play with the greats and to be able to try a chance to go back to dreaming.
If you don’t dare, the only certainty is that you miss an opportunity. The progress confirmed in Turkey by Ferrari, thanks to the ‘vitamins’ guaranteed by the power unit number 4, allowed Charles Leclerc and the Scuderia to play a gamble, not particularly risky but undoubtedly of great charm.
After thirty-five laps of the race, Leclerc was third, two seconds behind Max Verstappen and seven seconds behind leader Valtteri Bottas, thanks to a very fast and constant pace that allowed the Monegasque to remain attached to the two leaders.
In the first half of the race, Charles, in some phases, was even faster than Verstappen, forced (somewhat surprisingly) to watch his back from the redhead.
When Bottas and Verstappen returned to the pits for the pit stop (laps 37 and 36 respectively) Leclerc took command of the race. At that point, the Ferrari wall faced two scenarios: to return to the pits and continue the race managing the third position, or to try to place a surprise shot.
Until that moment the riders who had moved on to a second set of intermediates (Alonso and Ricciardo) had not confirmed a significant change of pace, and even the unknowns related to the possibility that the track became slick still had no answer.
Leclerc and the Ferrari strategists have decided to continue. If the track had become a slick Charles would have become the number 1 candidate to conquer the Turkish Grand Prix, but there was also another possibility, which was to finish the race without a new set of tires and try to contain Verstappen’s comeback. since Bottas was confirmed much faster than Charles in just a few laps.
Fifteen seconds behind Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton also tried to play the same wild card, continuing the race praying to see a dry trajectory as soon as possible. The wish was not fulfilled, however, the asphalt remained in limbo which allowed only the use of intermediates, and on lap 47 Leclerc had to return to the pits for the pit stop which relegated him to fourth position.
“It would have been very, very difficult to finish the race without stopping – commented Leclerc – the rear tires were really finished when I entered the pit lane for the change, and that’s why I stopped. When our rivals made their pit stop I saw that I was keeping the pace, but after a few laps the graining that slowed them down cleared and they started to find a lot more performance. “
“At that point we understood that we should have stopped too. I made my pit stop out of sync with the other riders and so I didn’t have time to get through the graining phase and respond to the attacks. It’s a shame I lost the position. podium but the performance has been seen and this is undoubtedly a reason for satisfaction ”.
Last year, Ferrari took third place in the Turkish Grand Prix (with Sebastian Vettel) without giving the impression of being there, while fourth place arrived twelve months later, despite bringing three points less, has a greater specific weight.
Carlos Sainz Jr, Ferrari, is interviewed after the race
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
A confirmation also came from the good comeback of Carlos Sainz, who with eighth place brought the Scuderia’s stage haul to sixteen points, now seven and a half points behind McLaren in the Constructors’ classification. Sainz’s result could have been better without a pit stop problem, but the Spaniard looks at the glass that is definitely more full than empty.
“We must have no regrets – commented Carlos – it was a very positive day, in which I managed to have an excellent pace, completing some good overtakes and minimizing the penalty linked to the engine penalty, which was the goal. I had a lot of fun during the race, especially in the first stint, when it was possible to overtake because there was no dry line. And that’s why I can’t be disappointed, of course, there is always a little thought about what I could have done without with the slow pit stop, since it forced me to get back on track behind Ocon and I lost a lot of time, but I’m happy like this “.
Between Sochi and Istanbul, Ferrari hopes to have overcome the engine hurdle. An important step in the Scuderia’s season, which not only smartened the fourth power unit (a problem shared with the rivals) but brought more performing engines to the track, and this is now a fact. At Maranello they minimize, but the change of pace seen in Russia was confirmed even more clearly in the weekend in Istanbul, allowing Leclerc to return to play with the greats and to be able to try a chance to go back to dreaming.