It was a positive Friday for Scuderia Ferrari at the Monaco Grand Prix, as they showed up on track in a notable form. In fact, during both FP1 and FP2, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in their SF-23 cars marched smoothly, proving to be fast and, above all, in contention for pole position, a crucial element for a strong performance on the streets of the Principality.
At the end of the first day of work, as mentioned, the two Ferrari drivers recorded the second and third fastest times of the day (with Carlos Sainz ending his day against the barriers at the exit of the second swimming pool chicane, with no major consequences), placing just a few hundredths of a second behind Max Verstappen’s Red Bull. This suggests that with further setup work and track improvement, the pole position (a serious claim to victory) could be within reach for the Maranello team. The performance, backed by data, confirms the expectations that were held in Maranello ahead of Monte Carlo, and inevitably, it instills confidence in the men of the Prancing Horse as they look ahead to the rest of the most glamorous weekend of the year.
Interviewed at the end of the second free practice session, Ferrari’s Racing Director, Laurent Mekies, analyzed the day and the team’s form. The Frenchman first acknowledged how well the SF-23 adapted to the Monaco track but tempered any excessive expectations, emphasizing that the weekend is still long.
“First of all, it must be said that this is only the beginning of a long weekend. So, it doesn’t make sense to have specific dreams at this moment. Certainly, we know we have a great opportunity on this track, considering that we haven’t shown the ability to win in the rest of the championship.”
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While highlighting the good adaptation of the red car to the streets of Monaco, the former FIA technician mentioned that there are still some cards to be played during the setup work overnight in an attempt to reach the front and win the race. The effectiveness of this work will only be visible tomorrow at the end of qualifying.
“Compared to other races, we have some cards to close the gap with the frontrunners here, but we cannot say whether this will be enough to aim for victory in the race. I repeat, the weekend has just begun, it’s too early to make predictions.” – Laurent Mekies concluded.
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