The sole tire supplier opened the first of the two days of testing in Barcelona with Scuderia Ferrari and Mercedes to evaluate the 2024 tires, which will not be able to use tire warmers to reach the optimal temperature. Leclerc completed 167 laps of the Montmelo circuit, while Russell totaled 151 laps. Tomorrow, it will be Sainz’s turn in the red car, and Mick Schumacher will make his debut in the W14.
Ferrari and Mercedes returned to the track after Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix for the first of the two Pirelli testing days. Scuderia Ferrari deployed Charles Leclerc in the SF-23 Evo, which was used by Carlos Sainz in the race since Charles Leclerc’s car was sent to Maranello for checks after the issues it had in qualifying.
On the other hand, Mercedes put George Russell in the car after his impressive third-place finish with the W14 B. The two teams had the opportunity, even though they were testing tires whose specifications were not disclosed, to gather useful data for the development of their respective cars, which ran under standard setups.
Charles Leclerc completed 167 laps of the Barcelona circuit, equivalent to the distance of two and a half Grand Prix, without any issues, setting a best time of 1’18″197. Russell also completed the program outlined by the Pirelli technicians for the Silver Arrow, concluding the day with 151 laps completed and a lap time of 1’18″400.
While the fact that the red car was faster than the Mercedes by three-tenths can boost Charles’ morale, the work plans were not comparable, nor were the performances. Any assessment based on lap times can be misleading.
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The engineers at Pirelli focused on exploring the tire compounds that will be used for the 2024 season when the tires will no longer be preheated with tire warmers. This significant change requires a very different constructive approach than what Pirelli has been accustomed to until now.
Tomorrow, Carlos Sainz will take the stage in the Ferrari, while Mick Schumacher, the third driver for the Brackley team, will make his debut and have the opportunity to experience the W14 on the track after contributing to the development of the simulator version with the new side pods.
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