Another pole position
Carlos Sainz repeats his performance. First in qualifying at Monza, on the fastest track of the World Championship, and leading the way again in Singapore, on a circuit with opposite characteristics. A clear sign that Ferrari has managed to set up the SF-23 remarkably well at the moment. Confirmation of this is also Charles Leclerc’s third position, just seven thousandths behind George Russell, which was all that was needed for an all-red front row. Compared to the Italian race two weeks ago, this time there will be a real chance to compete for victory until the end, thanks to Red Bull’s collapse.
Given these circumstances, it’s not surprising that Ferrari’s team principal, Frederic Vasseur, was in good spirits in interviews with Sky Sport F1 after qualifying. “I don’t know if we did anything special, but we’ve had a very good weekend from the start,” emphasized the head of the red team. Indeed, Ferrari has had one of its drivers in the lead in all the sessions held so far: “Both drivers performed well in the free practice sessions. We built our pace this weekend without any issues, and I think that’s the most important thing because, in the end, we’re talking about thousandths of a second between Charles and Carlos. This means our project has yielded positive results, and our drivers have done an excellent job.”
Carlos Sainz ahead, no surprises
For years, Charles Leclerc has been considered the qualifying wizard, but now Scuderia Ferrari is discovering a Carlos Sainz who has never been in such great shape, securing his second consecutive pole position. “I’m not surprised by Carlos’ performance,” Fred Vasseur stated. “I think it’s in line with what he did two weeks ago at Monza. He was at the top in all the free practice sessions, at the forefront in every session, and I’m not surprised. I’m happy for him, for the work he managed to do when it was needed, putting everything together in Q3 with another excellent lap. He’s made progress compared to previous GPs right from the start of the weekend. I’m happy for him because he’s building his pace, and he had a great race at Monza too. Tomorrow, however, it will be another big challenge and a different story.”
Great collaboration
Some fear a potential growing frustration from Leclerc as he sees himself surpassed by his teammate on his home turf, but Fred Vasseur reiterated the existence of an excellent relationship between the two Ferrari drivers. “Charles had a reference point in Carlos. They help each other in development and in analyzing corners. One is faster in the first sector, and the other in the second; that’s how you can progress to help the drivers in their driving, and it’s the best condition.” Leclerc had ‘wasted’ a start from pole position last year, but Ferrari’s team principal is optimistic this year: “Last year, the track was wet at the start due to rain,” he recalled. “This year, I hope it will be dry. We remain focused on strategy, which is the most important aspect. However, I still prefer to start from the first position than the second,” he concluded.
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