The first day of work on the Las Vegas track for Ferrari is now in the books. Friday didn’t start in the best way due to an issue with Carlos Sainz’s car #55: in the straight, in eighth gear, the engine suddenly produced a sinister noise. A warning message (engine off) lit up on the steering wheel, forcing the Spaniard to park it on the track. It took only a few minutes to realize that the SF-23 was not the cause of the forced stop.
The problem was related to the track, to the extent that the stewards closed the curtain on the stage prematurely. Thanks to a similar situation that occurred with Esteban Ocon’s Alpine, it was possible to ascertain that some manholes protruded too much from the asphalt, damaging the cars. A situation similar to what happened in Baku a few years ago. Hence the early closure of FP1, which represents, without beating around the bush, the failure of a model of all glitter and little substance.
With an hour less of work for the men in red and all the other protagonists, only one session remained in which it was necessary to make up for lost time with a compressed extra program. A session in which the unlucky Spaniard risked not taking part. Frédéric Vasseur, after what happened in FP1, had explained the facts: “We completely damaged the chassis, the engine, the battery. I think it’s simply unacceptable. I don’t even think Carlos will take part in FP2.”
The time extension allowed the SF-23 to be put back on track. But not without consequences that, considering how things went, seem like a mockery. Besides assuming the contours of ridicule. Many parts were replaced on Carlos Sainz’s car, including the battery. This puts Ferrari at a disadvantage, and they will not benefit from any derogation. So Carlos Sainz will have a penalty. The principle is clear: the regulations must be applied even if the damage is caused by an external object. Carlos will start with a ten-place grid penalty, a potential blow in the race for second place.
Ferrari: SF-23 adapts immediately to the Las Vegas track
After resolving the issue of manholes and everything that ensued, activity resumed at 2:30 in the night on a cold track (15°C asphalt, note) and with little rubber. The session was quite indecipherable, with teams doing different work at different times. This influenced the final results, with Ferrari emerging quite brilliantly in any case. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz led the pack. Charles and Carlos completed 78 laps each, starting the session with the Soft tires used in the only four laps of the first session, achieving, respectively, 1’38″917 and 1’39″891.
They then improved, dropping to 1’38″325 and 1’38″537 before returning to mount a new set of soft tires, with which Carlos achieved a time of 1’36″984, later improved to 1’36″742, and Charles stopped the time at 1’37″229, later dropping to 1’36″660. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc then installed another set of soft tires, setting the best times again, with the Monegasque at 1’35″696 first and 1’35″26 later, and the Spaniard at 1’35″821, then securing second place in 1’35″782. In the last twenty minutes of the session, the team focused on race configuration, loading fuel: in total, Charles and Carlos covered 39 laps each.
GP Las Vegas, Ferrari: Frédéric Vasseur’s analysis
Frédéric Vasseur is entrusted with the analysis of the Ferrari session, starting with the incident that involved Carlos Sainz, against his will. “Of course, I spoke to them. It’s a strange feeling for us because, first of all, I don’t think we did anything wrong. We have to pay a huge price for this. We received a penalty while we are fighting for the championship: ten positions are a big blow.” These were the remarks of the team principal when asked if Ferrari had actually requested a derogation.
“Now we have to try to avoid thinking about it, to do the best job possible. We have a good pace; we must focus on qualifying and then have a good race. We don’t have time to discuss it.” Ferrari wants to stay focused on what is directly under its control. Also, none of the rivals could plead Carlos Sainz’s case: “I don’t think it could be a decision for the teams to make. Then, if someone pushed in the opposite direction, it’s another story.”
Ferrari, displaying great reactivity, was able to put Carlos Sainz back on track thanks to the mechanics and the rescheduling of the second session, which took place in the dead of night in a Las Vegas shrouded in the silence of stands forcibly emptied by local authorities. “We didn’t try to set the record for assembling the car. But it was certainly a great challenge because we had to change the chassis, the engine, the battery, and the gearbox. It was a good job by the mechanics.”
Positive aspects, at the end of a crazy day, include Charles Leclerc dominating the session, and Carlos Sainz finishing in second place. ”
Source: Diego Catalano for FUnoanalisitecnica
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