Ferrari’s Components 1 drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc famous struggles with getting their tyres as much as temperature in Las Vegas, because the Spaniard in contrast the situations to Turkey’s moist race in 2020.
Having targeted extra on race efficiency with the design of its 2024 automotive, as its earlier fashions tended to overheat their tyres on longer runs and couldn’t capitalise on usually spectacular qualifying outcomes, Ferrari has discovered one-lap tempo tougher to return by this season.
This has been uncovered extra on Las Vegas’ structure, the place a clean observe with few medium/high-speed corners has resulted within the SF-24 missing the snap warmth era of its forebears.
Sainz famous that the circuit improved tremendously throughout FP1 after the “Turkey 2020” opening laps of the session – a race by which drivers had been rewarded with staying out on used intermediates quite than switching to slicks on the drying Istanbul circuit.
He added that the drop in temperature for the later FP2 session, the place observe temperatures fell from 17C to 14C, modified the complexion of the Thursday follow periods and reckoned having the tyres prepared for a qualifying lap on Friday could be on a knife-edge.
“These first laps in FP1 had been the bottom grip I believe since Turkey 2020, the place we had these loopy low grip situations. By the day the observe ramped up and picked up some grip,” Sainz defined.
“However with that additionally, the temperature got here down as we obtained extra into the evening after which the whole lot appeared a bit extra difficult. I believe everybody’s in the identical boat; it is a very fantastic line between having the tyres prepared, and never prepared in sector one.
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24
Picture by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Photos
“And from then on, it could actually snowball into an excellent lap or a really unhealthy lap. So yeah, it’s a completely different observe.
“I believe we’re within the combine. Mercedes has been very sturdy all day, Lando and McLaren additionally. Possibly we aren’t performing as sturdy as everybody was pondering we had been going to carry out.
“We’ve got some homework tonight to perhaps try to discover some lap time, particularly coming from qualifying. The race, we appear to be okay as soon as the whole lot will get as much as temperature, however over one lap, we appear to nonetheless have some work to do.”
Leclerc felt that Ferrari’s efficiency on Thursday was anticipated and that the staff wished to discover a resolution for Friday’s qualifying session the place it may get pleasure from “one of the best of each worlds” with out compromising on promising race tempo.
Ferrari was outperformed by Mercedes and McLaren in one-lap tempo in FP2, however barely shadowed McLaren within the longer runs.
“We anticipated it to occur, as we’re struggling a bit bit to place the tyres in temperature. I believe Mercedes seems very, very sturdy. They have been a bit extra aggressive on tyres all yr lengthy.
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“They’re very sturdy for now. So we have to try to discover one thing to try to flip the state of affairs round – however we’re not to date.
“All in all, I believe we’re very sturdy in race tempo, a bit much less sturdy in quali. It has been a bit the story of our season, nevertheless it’s higher that means than, than the other.
“I simply hope that overtaking will likely be as simple as final yr. Whether it is, it is higher to be in our place. However we’re nonetheless making an attempt to have one of the best of each worlds, and enhance on qualifying as a result of for now we’re a bit far, however I am assured we may be stronger tomorrow.”
Images from Las Vegas GP Observe
