First of all, we know that only one free practice session during the “sprint weekends” does not allow high-fuel simulations. Furthermore, we know that Ferrari, although it has tried to change this behavior, remains a qualifying car that struggles over long distances due to a significantly narrower operating window. They may have used these kilometers from the Sprint to conduct a test on the two tires useful for the race.
Like the rest of the group, Charles Leclerc started with the yellow-banded Pirellis. Therefore, the approach used by the Spaniard provided valuable data to the team for today’s race. The goal is clear: gather as much information as possible for the construction of the so-called “tyre model” on the Soft tires. Additionally, choosing this compound allowed them to save a set of yellow tires for Sunday’s race, which will involve two pit stops.
A decision that could prove to be quite intelligent but, in fact, no other team considered it. Ultimately, there’s the issue of performance. Starting from a more backward position, Carlos Sainz opted for a softer tire to gain positions at the start, taking advantage of the extra grip, while confirming the big question mark regarding tire degradation.
US Grand Prix 2023 / F1 Sprint: Ferrari SF-23 Heavily Limited by Tire Wear
Reviewing the tape of this 100km mini race, the fifth of the current 2023 Formula One season, we can say that the performance context took a well-defined direction from the very first corner. Leclerc may have had a better start than Verstappen, but the Dutchman made it clear from Turn 1: “Today, I win, and you all stay behind,” this was the message from the three-time F1 World Champion, hungry for victories and triumphs as never before.
Keeping these considerations in mind, looking at the previous graphic, we can easily see that Verstappen showed good progress in lap times as the fuel was consumed. The same goes for the seven-time World Champion from Mercedes. Towards the end of this short race, Max enjoyed pushing the tires to their limits.
Source: FUnoanalisitecnica
Essentially, the dominant factor in the race was to keep all four tires within the correct operating window to manage them to the best of their ability. The RB19 proved to be very “forgiving” in terms of overheating. After some initial issues with the rear axle overheating, the Dutchman easily adapted to this condition, thanks to his car. We’re talking about a car capable of finding the correct working point practically always.
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In contrast, the SF-23 has a very narrow setup window. That’s why in qualifying, on a single lap, if all parameters are set correctly, the car with the Prancing Horse on the bodywork soars. However, in the race, when the factors that contribute to optimal performance are different, performance tends to drop dramatically. We’ve emphasized it several times: to save the tires, the “two Carlos” are forced to increase the pace, which worsens their lap times. Not doing so would mean destroying the tires and, in turn, all the set objectives.
Source: FUnoanalisitecnica
From the side chart, we can appreciate the average lap times. It’s not so complicated to note that Lewis Hamilton lost an average of 5 tenths per lap compared to Verstappen in the RB19. Mercedes confirms itself as the second-best car over long distances. The third most performing car is Charles Leclerc’s number 16, with an average pace 8 tenths slower than that of the Dutchman. Ferrari suffered more from the micro-slides mentioned earlier, an aspect that takes temperatures away from the correct working range.
Source: Alessandro Arcari and Niccoló Arnerich for FUnoanalisitecnica
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