The chaotic free practice sessions for the Canadian Grand Prix provided the first verdicts regarding the potential of the cars at the 4.361-kilometre Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, starting with the Ferrari SF-23. The Friday morning session was affected by the malfunctioning of the closed-circuit cameras at the Montreal circuit, which forced the race direction to end the activities prematurely. Wisely, the duration of the second practice session was extended by an additional 30 minutes.
This extra time was valuable, especially for teams like Aston Martin, which introduced a significant upgrade to the AMR23 in the North American round. Despite the various variables that characterize the first day of race weekends, Scuderia Ferrari seems to have started off on the right foot. Both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz showcased excellent performance in single-lap pace and consistency in race pace simulations. The most positive feedback for the Maranello team comes from their competitiveness on medium tires during the stints.
The satisfaction does not come from comparing their lap times with those of their competitors but from the consistency of the times set by both Ferrari drivers, who approached the simulations differently. Charles tested his pace without alternating his fast laps with cool-down laps, unlike his Spanish teammate. It remains to be seen whether the cool weather conditions may have favored the overall performance of the SF-23.
The Prancing Horse car has been appreciated for its good responsiveness over curbs and in direction changes, while there is still a noticeable vertical bouncing on the “Casino Straight,” the long straight leading up to the chicane onto the main straight. It is truly a shame that the qualifying session will most likely be influenced by adverse weather conditions since yesterday’s day has reshuffled the values appreciated so far. The top four teams in the constructor’s standings seem to be very close in terms of performance.
Obviously, the Max Verstappen/Red Bull combination remains the favorite for qualifying and race victory. However, for the first time this season, the Ferrari car seems to have a say over the 300-kilometer distance as well. Rumor has it that during the Pirelli tests following the disappointing Spanish Grand Prix, the engineers in Maranello understood the reasons behind the lackluster performance on Spanish soil.
The only cause for concern was the Power Unit failure on Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas car, a reminder that the third internal combustion engines were installed after only eight races on Charles Leclerc’s and Carlos Sainz’s SF-23s.
Ferrari: A moderate optimism reigns
The Monegasque driver, who paid tribute to Canadian legend Gilles Villeneuve by using a helmet livery reminiscent of his, completed the work program in what can be considered the best Friday for the Italian team. According to the vice-world champion, even though it is only the first session and there is a long way to go, yesterday’s day was positive. In particular, the driver from the Principality of Monaco is satisfied with the feeling of the car.
Carlos Sainz also exercised caution and shared similar sentiments. The son of the two-time rally world champion stated that the second practice session for the Canadian Grand Prix was very demanding but satisfying, as they tested all the dry weather tire compounds and various car setups to improve the overall performance of the SF-23.
This cautious approach is appropriate because there are many uncertainties due to the different work programs of the competitors as well as the modification of the free practice sessions due to issues with the closed-circuit camera system.
