The successor narrowly beat the home team: Lewis Hamilton was 0.022 seconds faster than Carlos Sainz in the second free practice session. Despite balance problems, the Spaniard is cautiously optimistic for his home race: update package works, pace on one lap is good. Charles Leclerc is in trouble for the time being.
Ferrari in Barcelona: Qualifying top, race (still) flop?
“It was actually a challenge the whole time, but we look OK on one lap,” said Carlos Sainz, summing up his training Friday in Spain. The 4.657-kilometer Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was slippery, the track temperatures were very high (48 degrees in FP1, 40 degrees in FP2) and it was windy. Nevertheless, Sainz was satisfied with his qualifying sim, the SF-24 was particularly strong in the first sector on the straight.
The race pace is different. “We seem to struggle a bit more on our long runs, similar to last year,” Sainz said, having problems with high tire wear. On the soft tires, he was significantly slower than the leaders. Charles Leclerc did not drive representative times after extensive setup modification work.
Positive: The update package seems to be working. Earlier than planned, only Carlos Sainz received the new spec in the first free practice session for comparison purposes. In FP2, Charles Leclerc then received the whole package. “Everything seemed to be going well. Since it’s so close, a small package like this can make the difference!”, the Spaniard is pleased about more downforce and less drag.
“If you have the opportunity, you should always come to Barcelona with a package,” Ferrari chief engineer Jock Clear explains the early update. With Spielberg and Silverstone, the triple header offers almost perfect test conditions. And a help in the tight field of Formula 1: “If you bring the upgrade one race earlier, you basically benefit twice from it.”
Charles Leclerc struggles: No comfort, no pace – but ideas for improvement
On the other side of the garage, Friday didn’t go quite as well. Charles Leclerc’s first free practice session in particular didn’t go well. With the old spec on his Ferrari (only the rear wing was new), he couldn’t get past P11. Then there was bad luck when he had to abort his fast lap due to the red flag.
“Firstly, it was extremely warm. That causes the cars to overheat and makes them extremely difficult to drive. Secondly, we are a little off with the balance. Thirdly, I didn’t have the update at the beginning,” the Monegasque explains his problems. “In FP2, I then regained some of the feeling. But I didn’t get everything together, I’m still lacking a bit of pace.”
“But I know where I can find lap times, so I’m not too worried,” said the Monaco winner. The right set-up still needs to be found before qualifying. Another positive: Leclerc’s actually The Miami engine, which was thought to be lost, seems to still be functional.
As a reminder: After the race in Florida, irregularities were discovered in Leclerc’s engine during checks. At the following Grand Prix in Imola, a new engine was used for safety reasons – the third of four permitted. It was used again in the first free practice session and passed the test.
Ferrari plays a major role not only in the battle for victory in Barcelona, but also in the driver market. Carlos Sainz is the protagonist – you can find out all about it here.