In a 24-race season, there can be days when a team finds itself collecting far less than expected due to its drivers (with an asterisk). This was the case for Ferrari after the Singapore qualifying, which ended with the disappointing result of ninth and tenth places. At Marina Bay, this means an uphill battle with a steep gradient. The front row was within reach; Charles Leclerc (third in Q2) was just 67 thousandths off Max Verstappen and seemed in a position to contend.
Everything fell apart in Q3, the moment when it’s crucial to put everything together. The first piece of bad news for the Scuderia was Carlos Sainz’s crash, going off at turn 18 while on his first run with a new set of tires. A red flag halted the session with eight minutes to go, leaving time for only one flying lap, which ultimately fell apart for Charles Leclerc. The temperature of his front tires dropped while waiting to exit the pit lane, and during the out lap, he couldn’t bring the tires back into the correct temperature window. The steep price was paid with a lock-up in turn 1, taking him beyond the white line: his time was canceled by race control, putting him ninth on the grid.
However, there is a question mark regarding why Charles Leclerc began his flying lap with the front tires outside the ideal operating window. Frederic Vasseur didn’t fully absolve Charles: “We waited a bit too long in the pits,” the team principal explained, “and that’s where we lost temperature. Then Charles pushed a bit more during the out lap and got back to the right temperature before starting the lap. But, as we know, when there’s only one lap available, you have to push, and you’re at the limit.” In Singapore, no one wants to be the first to hit the track due to the progressive track improvement, which is why Charles Leclerc waited for the two McLarens to exit. However, three other drivers slipped in during the stretch from the Scuderia’s box to the traffic light at the end of the pit lane, spending 50 seconds in line before they could exit.
There is also the consideration of a possibly less-than-ideal tire warm-up procedure, but Charles Leclerc disagrees on this point and doesn’t go into detail. “In Q1 and Q2, it went well, but when I exited the pits in Q3, the front tires were much colder. I don’t understand; we work so hard on tire preparation all weekend, only to come to a crucial lap with cold front tires. The consequence is that our weekend is now in a very negative situation. The team is investigating, but I can’t say much about the problem. The fact is, we started the lap with two cold front tires, and they locked up in turn 1.”
It’s a bitter outcome for Ferrari, especially given the confirmed potential of the SF-24, which might not be enough to challenge Lando Norris but is certainly capable of aiming for the front row. The time Leclerc set in Q2 would have secured him third on the grid, but there was room to shave off another tenth, which could have put him alongside Norris. “Then we threw it all away,” Charles Leclerc concluded. “I don’t want to go into too much detail, but obviously, we’re talking about one or two degrees, a margin that today means doing well or getting it all wrong.”
Charles Leclerc will share the fifth row with Sainz, and once again, the topic (now a habit) is the tires. “Before my run, I had to let a lot of cars pass,” Carlos explained, “and when I accelerated to start my lap, the tires were much colder than I thought, and I made a mistake by underestimating the reduced grip. I was already under pressure because another car was approaching, and I knew a slower approach to the last corner would compromise my lap.”
There’s also a question mark regarding Carlos Sainz’s car due to the significant damage to the rear. If no elements requiring penalties need to be replaced, Sainz will start from tenth position, but there’s also the risk he might have to start from the pit lane. “The car seems pretty damaged,” Carlos confirmed, “but I can’t say much at the moment. I just hope to have a normal race and find a good rhythm.”
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