by SIMONE PELUSO (BARCELONA)
Disappointed expectations, at least for now. The qualification of Ferrari did not convince, confirming the sensations of a car not performing as well on the flying lap compared to the competition. Only this time Mercedes is also ahead, clearly on a growth path after Russell’s pole in Canada.
Yet the free practice had given rise to hope, especially thanks to the new package of updates introduced on the SF-24 in continuity with what was seen in Imola. Even the times, especially those of Sainz, were in line with Norris and Verstappen (both on the front row), while in qualifying the gap increased to three and a half tenths.
Leclerc’s weekend was uphill due to the comparison work carried out on Friday morning: the Monegasque struggled to find the right setup with the new components throughout the second session, but in FP3 he immediately had the right feeling to give hope for something positive.
“Was a really very difficult weekend until qualifyingI suffered a lot in FP1 and FP2 – begins Leclerc to our microphones after qualifying – In the first free practice we had the old package, we obviously had to make a comparison between the two cars, which was necessary. On a track like Barcelona, however, losing two sets of tires complicates things a bit in the search for pace.”
“In FP2 the car seemed really out of place from a balance point of view. In FP3 we made some substantial changes and I immediately felt much more comfortable. Despite this, we didn’t have the pace of the leaders. In a way I’m happy with the progress between Friday and Saturday, I think they will pay off in the racebut I am disappointed with the qualifying result, which says that we are further away than we expected.”
The updates Are they therefore a real step forward or will it take time to understand them and make them work fully? Leclerc also clarifies this point: “It is certain that the package we have brought is doing what it is supposed to and is a good step forwardbut we know well that in Formula 1 everything is relative. Other teams have also brought updates, so it all depends on how many improvements they are having too. We can certainly optimize this package more, but this should not be an excuse. I think we just lacked a bit of pace this weekend. Jock Clear said the update is in line with the previous ambition of trying to make the car better and easier to drive, considering last year was very difficult.”
So is there a danger that the car now seems easier and better to drive, but in the end you end up losing speed? “It’s a very difficult question to answer. I felt good today, sure, but I can say that This is a performance upgrade and not a handling upgrade. So what we saw was definitely an improvement in the performance of the car, 100%, and we’re seeing it with data that we expected. But it is also It is important that the car is drivable to allow us drivers to extract the maximum potential“ concluded Leclerc.
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