It was already known that the fast Silverstone circuit was going to be a test of the surprise abilities of the different teams. The fact that Max Verstappen finishes at the top of the time table is part of the script, since it is a track with very fast curves such as the legendary aerodrome where the history of this World Cup began, but what is already a greater novelty is having Carlos Sainz second.
The man from Madrid already knows what it is to conquer this circuit. He did it in 2022, when he achieved his first and only victory at the moment in Formula 1, which was quite a blow to morale for his options. Especially since at that moment he took off the heavy burden of pressure, which is when he lives with the Ferrari shield on his chest. He was only 22 thousandths behind, which given the real difference in performance (and everything) with Verstappen and Red Bull is quite an achievement.
It was not a comfortable session at the Scuderia. In fact, only Sainz saved more than enough furniture for the Italian squad, since the Ferrari mechanics had double the work when they were forced to check why Charles Leclerc’s car was left lying down and could not drive properly. . An electrical fault left the Monegasque in the box for a good part of the session, something that nobody wants to happen. Good news for Sainz, who in a moment of doubt like the one that is currently being experienced at the Scuderia needs to hit the table again.
Seeing Sainz in second place is, to a certain extent, predictable, but not so who followed him on the list of drivers: Alex Albon. Although the position of the Williams driver must be quarantined, the work of the Thai was commendable, as was that of his teammate, rookie Logan Sargeant, who set the fifth time. A legendary team like Williams that is slowly sticking its head out needs a cheer now and then to keep the legacy of the legendary Sir Frank alive.
Albon’s position, like Sainz’s to a certain extent, can be considered out of schedule on a day in which Pirelli was the protagonist due to the changes they have implemented in the construction of their tires. The new casings of the Italian brand are intended to give greater equality on the track and more fights, which for practical purposes means giving Red Bull a warning: they are going to try to stop them at any cost. This led to shuffling among the predictable soft tires some riders with medium or hard ones.
Alonso, tenth
One of the great stories of overcoming this year is that of Fernando Alonso. The return of the legendary Asturian pilot to the fight for podiums has made thousands of fans all over the world join the plan of the 33rd mission, a triple twist that not so long ago was little more than a meme. However, the more it seems that he is getting closer, the more complicated it gets.
And it is that everything happened to Alonso this Friday. First, a jump on a curb on the circuit caused his wheel to break, which in turn affected the overall performance of the car. Nothing too serious, but serious enough that you can’t be entirely comfortable. It was worse later, when by pure chance a stone from the circuit jumped right between the halo and the front of his car and hit him in the hand when he turned the wheel. Nine times out of ten he wouldn’t have hit her, but this time he did. “It hurts, but I can go on,” he said over the radio.
The truth is that the tenth place he scored on the time table is not encouraging… except for the undeniable reality that it was a Friday. The Mercedes are not up there either (they didn’t even reach the ‘top 10’) and what can happen this Saturday is absolutely unpredictable, given that there are also certain suspicions about what could happen in the meteorological aspect.
#Sainz #sends #notice #Silverstone