Next weekend Formula 1 retuns on a permanent racetrack after the Monaco-Baku city parenthesis. There are those who look forward to the return of high-speed corners and escape routes, as is the case of Mercedes, while for other teams it will be yet another exam to find out if the values on the field are still those seen at the beginning of May in the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya.
In addition to Red Bull, and it could not be otherwise, eyes will also be on Ferrari, which in Monaco and Azerbaijan has taken two pole positions and a second place together with the third position in the Constructors’ standings. Logic says that at Ferrari the first team to be observed will be McLaren again (attention reciprocated), especially now that the run-up for the third position in the Constructors’ championship has been completed.
However, the margin of two points guarantees very little and the competition promises to be tight as it is destined to last for a long time. The growth highlighted by Ferrari during this season emerges from the direct confrontation with McLaren.
In the first three races (Sakhir, Imola and Portimao) the English team collected more overall, then starting from Montmelò Ferrari changed pace.
What made the difference were the qualities of the SF21 project, which proved to be very efficient in the slow corners as evidenced by the Spanish Grand Prix, when Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz confirmed excellent times in the third sector, which was not the case of the two McLarens.
Obviously, everything turned into a greater advantage on the following two street circuits, but in the case of Ferrari, the spoils of the Monaco stage were bittersweet due to Charles Leclerc’s failure to start. Without the unexpected issue on the streets of Monte Carlo, the ranking would be different, and Ferrari also missed out on a second place in Imola that Charles already had in his pocket before the red flag.
Ferrari better in qualifying
Although the balance after the first six races is essentially equal (94 points for Ferrari, 92 for McLaren) the SF21 has undoubtedly expressed itself better in qualifying. The figures enhance Charles Leclerc’s ability to guarantee added value in the fast lap, as also demonstrated by the internal confrontation with Carlos Sainz, but there is also a lot of technical substance, because on Saturday afternoon Ferrari does not seem to have a power handicap in comparisons with the Mercedes power unit, or at least a much smaller margin than the gap confirmed in the race.
In addition, the SF21 handles the tire very well before the fast lap, a feature that stands out among the characteristics of the car. The downside is that at times in the race the two ‘reds’ have shown a too aggressive tire management compared to McLaren, a reason that allowed Lando Norris to recover the positions lost on Sunday after his qualifying was not exceptional.
In the race, even the engine does not seem to support the two Ferrari drivers at its best and, probably, in this case the problem is consumption, one of the aspects on which they are very focused in Maranello for the 2022 Formula One season. Fuel optimization, on the other hand, is an ace up the sleeve of Mercedes engines, especially on tracks where the problem linked to fuel consumption is most important.
The importance of the Paul Ricard verdicts
The return to a permanent circuit will be highly anticipated because it will provide indications destined to be (probably) confirmed in the following events. The ‘fast corners’ test is one of the most feared by Ferrari, but in light of the surprises they have been able to do at Maranello over the past month and a half, it is prudent to maintain a margin of optimism. On paper, the French track is not the ideal hunting ground for the SF21, also considering the straights that are not exactly short, and temperatures could also be among the unknowns (in this case for all ten teams).
In the first six stages that took place this season, there have never been very hot conditions, and it will be necessary to verify how much this aspect (if the weather confirms the summer forecasts) will have an impact on the values in the field.
The performance of the two drivers also emerges in the Ferrari balance sheet after the first six races. Both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are behind Lando Norris, but the consistency of the ‘red’ tandem is guaranteeing the team excellent benefits. There are many teams that in this first part of the season have gone at… two speeds, and McLaren is also paying a lot in terms of points for the difficult moment (for reasons still not clear) that Daniel Ricciardo is going through.
In Maranello they can be satisfied with both drivers, given that Charles Leclerc (despite the error from Monaco) still has Norris in his sights (14 points away) while Carlos Sainz is only 10 points behind his teammate after six races, confirming a solid and rapid progress.
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