Ferrari in already in qualifying mode on the streets of Monaco. This is the summary of what was seen on Friday in the first day of track action in Monte Carlo. The Maranello team tested the two configurations of the updated SF-24 cars, focusing primarily on the push lap, a crucial aspect on this track in terms of race outcome. Whoever starts at the front in Monte Carlo, in fact, unless there are particular situations or major errors by drivers or the pit wall strategists, takes home the victory. The reason is quite obvious, as overtaking on the Monaco street circuit is nearly impossible. For this reason, the focus of the practice sessions largely ignores race pace and is dedicated mainly to as many tests as possible with little fuel on board.
In this case, cornering speeds are also important, as is the tire management related to activation. Bringing the tires up to temperature is as crucial as maintaining the correct working range throughout the lap. This aspect allows the Formula 1 cars to achieve maximum grip. Ferrari did very well in this respect. In the second free practice session, with the Soft tires, Charles Leclerc highlighted the high level of available grip. Red Bull had slightly more difficulties, migrating the balance of the RB20 to the rear, which caused issues with the front-end.
Most of the corners on the Monaco track are obviously very slow. In these sections, F1 cars with a precise, stable, and not understeering front end are undoubtedly favored, able to perform at their best. Examining the telemetry data referring to the best performance in the second free practice session, it is evident how Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton manage to achieve a higher average minimum speed in these sections of the track. The telemetry data does not lie in this regard. The Ferrari driver with his updated SF-24 single-seater shows an approach to cornering that favors entry and minimum speed.
The Englishman is more balanced between entry and exit phases, but still records an average similar to the home driver. Lewis Hamilton exploits a precise front end on entry with which he easily finds the apex. In the medium-high speed corners, however, the performances of Max Verstappen and the two McLaren drivers stand out. Yet the data relating to the Dutchman’s speed, 134 kilometers per hour, is not entirely accurate due to a GPS system error. In general, though, the world champion seems more comfortable in the corners where aerodynamic load counts more.
Delving even deeper into the specifics of the corners, let’s analyze the drivers’ performance throughout the sections indicated. In the portion of the track where the Casino is present, the Dutchman proves to be the most effective, gaining 1 kilometer per hour in cornering compared to Charles Leclerc and the two McLaren cars of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Even in the slow section, the Red Bull driver, despite complaining about entry problems due to a front axle not perfectly up to temperature, is still the fastest. Max Verstappen was forced to sacrifice the entry phase significantly, but he was able to exploit a perfect car in terms of traction.
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It is also relevant to analyze the performance of the two Mercedes drivers. The W15 car hit the track with a revised front wing, made more similar to those of their rivals, mounted on car number 63. The goal was to improve the overall performance of the F1 car by gaining stability at the front end. However, the data suggests this improvement is not present. Lewis Hamilton achieves better performance in the slow corners, even while using the old specification. Regarding the two Ferraris, we can say they are the best at Rascasse.
Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc take advantage of a car that offers good lateral load transfer and is also stable in attacking the curbs. Finally, let’s analyze the data regarding the top speeds, aiming to understand who can increase engine performance the most. Generally, it is observed that Max Verstappen used less power compared to his rivals, consequently having a slower car at the beginning of the drag reduction system zone.
McLaren, with the recent update on their papaya-colored F1 car, has significantly improved its efficiency in the last few races. Yesterday, the choice of propulsion mappings was not very aggressive, limiting testing of the car without pushing the engine revolutions too high, unlike Ferrari and Mercedes, which exploited the Power Unit more.
Charles Leclerc remained cautious in emphasizing that it’s only Friday, just Like Hamilton’s caution when highlighting that we need to wait for qualifying, and the natural caution towards Max Verstappen and Red Bull, who faced a more complicated Friday than expected, just like a week ago at Imola. It was a day full of surprises that kicked off the weekend in Monte Carlo, starting with the dominance of Charles Leclerc and Ferrari.
It’s not the first position that surprised us, but rather the approach with which Charles Leclerc began his home weekend. At the end of the FP2 session, the gap between the Monegasque and his future Maranello teammate Lewis Hamilton (a surprising second) was 0.188 seconds, nothing stellar, but in reality, Charles (due to traffic and minor mistakes) did not put together the lap that would have been within his reach. He holds the three best sectors, and the ideal time estimates a lap three-tenths quicker potentially in his hands, which is not just a cold arithmetic calculation but a real reference of what was seen on the track.
But it was only Friday. The certainty is that Charles Leclerc has started the weekend in the best possible way, his time to get in sync with the track was practically zero, and his feeling with the car immediately appeared excellent, but it is too early to draw conclusions ahead of today’s crucial qualifying sessions. Based on what we saw on Friday, he will be the man to beat, but there is a night of work that can play a role in the hierarchy we will see on the track on Saturday.
At Red Bull, there was a déjà-vu, with Max Verstappen bluntly complaining about the stiffness of his car that didn’t allow him to use the curbs. “I’m jumping like a kangaroo!”, Max shouted over the radio at the beginning of the session, then the adjustments to the car’s setup went in the right direction.
In the Monaco pit lane, we also saw Adrian Newey, who was present in Monte Carlo as an ambassador for the RB17 project, and in the end, Max Verstappen concluded the afternoon with the fourth fastest lap but with an excellent race pace.
The race simulation was not positive for Mercedes, but Lewis Hamilton knows he has an important opportunity if he can secure a starting position in the top two rows. His performance was the surprise of Friday, unexpected even by the team members and Lewis himself. On the other hand, McLaren is still a work in progress. Oscar Piastri seemed comfortable in the first free practice session, but in the afternoon session, his work program did not include the use of soft tires. Lando Norris seemed a bit less confident, but rivals don’t rule McLaren out of the fight for the very top positions. Today’s qualifying is shaping up to be not only crucial for Sunday’s result (as tradition dictates) but also one of the most open ever, with eight drivers vying for the front row.
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