Optimism blended with a dose of realism. That’s how the primary day of observe in Abu Dhabi for Ferrari may very well be summed up, listening to Carlos Sainz. The Ferrari driver’s emotions are higher than the stopwatch suggests.
The Spaniard wrapped up the final Friday of the season in fourth place, behind the “shock” Nico Hulkenberg, who typically delivers flashes of brilliance on a single lap. Nevertheless, the important thing focus for the Prancing Horse this weekend isn’t general efficiency however the comparability with McLaren, their rival within the Constructors’ Championship battle.
Ferrari goes all-in at Abu Dhabi, however sadly, the weekend didn’t begin on one of the best notice, with Charles Leclerc’s automobile requiring a battery change, leading to a ten-place grid penalty. On the opposite facet of the storage, Carlos Sainz needed to sit out the primary observe session to make method for Arthur Leclerc, complying with the rule requiring groups to permit a rookie to drive in two FP1 classes per season.
Carlos Sainz, nonetheless, believes this didn’t weigh closely on him, as he felt he rapidly discovered his rhythm with the automobile: “Sure, I solely had one session, however I’m pleased with how rapidly I bought on top of things. By the second lap, I already had one of the best time. That’s excellent news as a result of it means I belief the automobile and know learn how to drive it,” the Spaniard stated on the finish of the day. Moreover, whereas FP1 is often useful for an preliminary have a look at the setup, the numerous temperature distinction between afternoon and night classes at Yas Marina means the info gathered is much less related in comparison with different tracks.
Nevertheless, as Carlos Sainz identified, when the SF-24 switched to mushy tires on a cooler observe within the night, the acquainted points which have plagued Ferrari all through the season started to floor. These points stop the automobile from excelling on a single lap. Leclerc wasn’t even in a position to set a aggressive lap because of site visitors interfering with tire preparation, leaving Carlos Sainz’s time as the one significant reference.
“Then, with the mushy tires, we had some issues. I believe we’re nonetheless not in a position to extract all of the efficiency. As at all times, when the observe cools and we mount the mushy tires, our automobile appears to wrestle a bit extra,” the Spaniard added. He emphasised, nonetheless, that if Ferrari can discover some enhancements, the hole to McLaren may very well be lowered by about half from the present five-tenths.
“Most likely we’re not half a second behind McLaren, however a minimum of two or three tenths. That’s one thing we have to attempt to recuperate by tomorrow. It’s a deficit we additionally carried into the lengthy runs. We have to discover a couple of tenths in a single day to be within the combat with them.”
Carlos Sainz isn’t shocked that McLaren is aggressive right here. Final yr, they fell quick within the decisive moments, missing Ferrari’s tempo, however this season, the automobile has made vital strides, particularly in gradual sections the place they struggled previously.
“I’m not shocked by the hole as a result of this has at all times been a observe the place McLaren performs nicely, and Lando has typically been very aggressive right here. In the mean time, they appear to be the strongest this weekend, so beating them can be a tricky job.”
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