Scuderia Ferrari is sending small but reassuring signals during the first two free practice sessions of the Mexican Grand Prix, which took place a few hours ago at the Hermanos Rodriguez circuit in Mexico City.
The Maranello-based team has achieved promising lap times with Charles Leclerc, particularly in dry conditions. Still, what boosted confidence was the race pace simulation, where the Monegasque delivered a series of impressive laps without excessively wearing the tires.
Red Bull, on the other hand, appeared much closer than usual. More approachable. A glimmer of hope for all competitors, and even Frédéric Vasseur stated that he sees the Red car closer to the RB19. However, only two of the three special tests have concluded, and there might still be changes in terms of performance.
“We’ll probably get closer to Red Bull in terms of race pace, but it’s a bit too early,” admitted Ferrari’s team principal. “We’re all struggling a bit, trying to find the right setup and the most suitable solutions for cooling. This could have different impacts on different cars. We’ll have a more comprehensive picture tomorrow.”
After Austin and before São Paulo, where F1 has faced and will face the format that includes the Saturday Sprint between the Shootout and the short race, Mexico City still adheres to the traditional three free practice sessions, Saturday qualifying, and Sunday race schedule. For Ferrari, this could be an advantage due to the extra time to fine-tune the setup and make it as close as possible to the drivers’ preferences. However, Fred Vasseur admitted that Maranello’s focus is on finding the right brake and engine cooling to avoid dealing with engine management during the race.
“I’m glad to have the usual weekend format. We’re back to something we know, but it’s the same for everyone. We’ve had great weekends even with the Saturday Sprint, for example at Spa-Francorchamps, the Red Bull Ring, and so on. Austin was tougher, it’s true, but we still secured pole position and a podium. We need to keep that in mind. Today, we’re very focused on brake and engine cooling to avoid having to manage the engine during the race. That will be a key aspect throughout the weekend.”
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!
As mentioned, Charles Leclerc’s race pace was the most comforting aspect for Ferrari on Friday. Fred Vasseur didn’t hesitate to highlight it, revealing that Maranello might have found the right setup compromise to have an SF-23 fast on the straights (to be effective in on-track battles) without encountering significant tire degradation issues.
“Our top speed will certainly be an advantage for us, especially in battles. The downside, however, is tire degradation. So we need to find the right compromise. But in the first part of the stint, after an initial tire drop, Charles was very consistent in the first 10 laps he completed. This means we might have found a good compromise,” Fred Vasseur concluded.
Leave a Reply