“We wanted to score more points for the Constructors’ Championship , and we did. The fourth and seventh place were a good result” – Mattia Binotto in the post-race of the Spanish GP.
After the disappointing Portuguese trip, which we had dismissed as occasional given the particular external conditions such as the asphalt (not from F1), the SF21 passed the ‘Montmelo’ exam with flying colors. One of the most important rounds of the seasons given the technical mix of the circuit, with a diversity of sectors (first, engine and aerodynamic efficiency, second, downforce, third, mechanical grip) and a rather demanding asphalt.
“When you have problems like those of Portimao, you always learn something about set-up , balance and how to manage the tires. We analyzed the data, we shared it with the drivers and it went very well here.” – the Ferrari boss added.
A Spanish weekend that has nothing to do with last season’s. “Last year we were more than 1.5 seconds from pole position and we were lapped.” – Binotto said. In 2021 the qualifying deficit was halved and the race was finished 54 seconds away from race winner Lewis Hamilton. “We have made a lot of progress, which is important. The team has shown that it can tackle the weak points of the 2020 car. ”, Continued the team principal of the Italian team.
In this 2021 Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have a car that is extremely easier to fine-tune in balance. Mainly thanks to the engine recovery that allows arrangements more suited to the technical characteristics of each circuit. Without forgetting the important improvements on the rear of the car and, above all, the regulatory limitations with which the SF21 was designed. For this reason the comparison must always be with 2020.
“For the first time this year, we were clearly the fastest car after Mercedes and Red Bull,” said Carlos Sainz. Clear signs had also arrived in Imola , albeit on a wet track. But even in the dry, Charles Leclerc had more than Norris, just as Carlos Sainz, in Spain, was faster than Ricciardo. But to pass, a much better pace is needed (in Montmelo by more than one second) which is shortened with a very aerodynamically efficient car, something that Ferrari is still certainly lacking.
“The car was better than the position I finished in,” said the Spaniard. “I got stuck at Turn 1 and didn’t know where to go. I have to analyze if I could have done something different ”.
The box gave him a hand, unlike Portimao ( Binotto’s message was well received by the team). Carlos Sainz added: “I said on the radio that we would have to make two stops. In this way we overtook Ocon and we were able to attack Ricciardo. Too bad we only fought for eighth instead of fourth or fifth, as we should have done.”
The Italian team arrived in Spain with a single novelty: the rear wing . A normal adaptation to the needs of the Montmelo with higher load profiles for the mainplane and the moving wing.
No updates for the bottom. According to what has been learned in the last few hours, the new floor tested in Portimao did not give convincing results and, also due to the limits imposed by the budget cap , it was therefore decided to freeze it without producing another example.
According to the information gathered, Ferrari has approved a small increase in the power of its PU for the Spanish weekend. Which we may not see on all weekends, however. A few and expected extra HP, but still important in an always close fight for the third position, and in response to the increase decided at Imola by Mercedes and which consequently had raised the performance of direct rival, McLaren.
The result was a Ferrari which, albeit with a higher load wing than what was seen in Bahrain and on McLaren, lost little or nothing in the straights to the MCL35M (more “critical” from this point of view, corner 3 greater efficiency was needed), while asserting its important qualities, at least to Montmelo, in the traction phase.
Enhanced by the driving style of Charles Leclerc who prefers to let go of the brake before other drivers in the approach phase but then going ahead on the gas to put the car straight as soon as possible. A curiosity: compared to other drivers, Charles’ telemetry is much more “pointed” and less rounded especially in medium and medium-low speed corners.
This helped a lot in the slower sector, the third, where the SF21 gained a lot in traction than in braking / mid corner compared to McLaren .
In addition to the chicane, where the Monegasque gained almost 1 tenth of a second, covering it at a good 5 km / h more with a car that proved to be very agile in the two quick changes of direction.
Returning to the race, from the data collected, the average gap of Barcelona returned within 0.75 sec / lap from the top net of a PU management in the third final of the race where Charles Leclerc competed alone, as opposed to Verstappen and Hamilton, always engaged in a battle.
On the contrary, the pace compared to Ricciardo’s Mclaren was better by about 0.5 sec / rev. Of note, Norris, who has so far took the MCL35M in front, did not seem convinced by the updates. According to some sources, the balance was somewhat affected by a certain technical uncertainty in the choice of direction after Friday. But it is also true that Barcelona could not and should have been considered a congenial track to Montmelo.
“We just have to say that Ferrari have been stronger this weekend. But it wasn’t a surprise. They have had a good car in this start of the championship and we know their strengths on tracks with a layout like that of Montmelo. ”, Said Seidl, McLaren team principal, in the past few hours.
For Ferrari a positive step forward that brings it closer to the historic English team, now only 5 points away.
It is not heaven but the signs are promising ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix. There is confidence but also a very “low” profile since the third sector in Barcelona can say everything and nothing if we consider that in the Principality there will be very different asphalt conditions and set-ups, as well as much softer compounds to manage.
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