Despite being eight-tenths behind his rival Max Verstappen, Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc took Pole Position at the 7.004-kilometre Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Stavelot on Friday. He finished within two-tenths of a second in the Sprint shootout, but a mistake at turn 12 compromised his chances for an important result.
Ferrari showed its competitiveness on both Friday and Saturday at Spa, displaying pole potential in both wet and dry conditions with the SF-23. The single-seater arrived in Belgium with a basic set-up and an aerodynamic configuration decided by the simulator, which satisfied engineers and drivers.
The weekend’s Sprint Race format and variable conditions required teams to arrive at the track with the most satisfactory basic set-ups, developed primarily through the simulator. There wasn’t enough time for extensive comparative tests and set-up experiments.
One of the Maranello team’s key strengths is its ability to bring an SF-23 to the track with a good basic set-up, allowing their drivers to immediately focus on their driving style and fine-tuning the setup without major disruptions, unlike Mercedes or the past Maranello team. Carlos Sainz performed well in rainy or mixed conditions, quickly adapting to the Spa-Francorchamps track, and only a small mistake on the last lap of Q3 cost him a few tenths, which would have placed him 1-2 positions higher.
On Friday, Carlos Sainz identified where he lost the missing tenths to compete with Sergio Perez or his teammate. The straight between turn seven and turn nine proved challenging, where he was slower than Perez by 6 km/h, 11 km/h, and 10 km/h, significantly impacting his overall time.
Show your support for Scuderia Ferrari with official merchandise collection! Click here to enter the F1 online Store and shop securely! And also get your F1 tickets for every race with VIP hospitality and unparalleled insider access. Click here for the best offers to support Charles and Carlos from the track!
However, all eyes were on the Monegasque driver, who had previously admitted to struggling in mixed conditions, i.e., when the track is wet and starting to dry. He made changes to his driving style to better adapt to the track’s needs, getting closer to his teammate’s style.
Carlos Sainz adopts a more ‘V’ style driving, widening the entry trajectory to aim the car out of the corner quickly, minimizing time on the tightrope, increasing time on the brakes, and anticipating when to go on the gas.
Charles Leclerc approached this style, refraining from rounding trajectories too much or staying too close to the apex of corners. He worked with the team to find encouraging feedback, giving him confidence to pursue this path.
Charles made changes, including hybrid settings, to be comfortable with the SF-23 in these conditions. This shows that despite his indisputable talent, he continues to work on improving himself.
Leave a Reply