F1 | Spanish GP | Ferrari To Focus On Race Pace and Tyre Management As Drivers End Friday Free Practice Sessions In P1 and P4
Scuderia Ferrari had a lot of data to analyze by the end of Friday practice for the Spanish Grand Prix, and the results so far are that the vehicle performs well over a single lap, but there is still potential for growth in other areas, such as race speed.
At the start of FP1 Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr tested several aero upgrades. They started on Hard tyre compound and set timings of 1:22.746 and 1:23.177 respectively. When later, both pitted and switched to the Softs. On the soft tyre compound, Leclerc sets a personal best of 1:19.828 while Sainz set a personal best of 1:19.907, putting them first and second on the time sheet. They ran with a larger fuel load in the last 20 minutes. Both Leclerc and Sainz ran 26 laps
#FP1 🏁
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) May 20, 2022
P1 and P2 for @Charles_Leclerc and @CarlosSainz55 👊 Continuing to develop and improve here in Barcelona.#essereFerrari 🔴 #SpanishGP pic.twitter.com/WCXnAGo6KO
In FP2, both Ferrari drivers started the second free practice session on the Medium tyre to finish their evaluation of all Pirelli compounds available in Barcelona. Both F1-75s ran the Soft tyre towards the middle of the session, with Leclerc setting the fastest time of 1:19.670 and Sainz in fourth.
It’s P1 and P4 in second practice 💪#essereFerrari 🔴 #SpanishGP pic.twitter.com/9EFm4jyKwR
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) May 20, 2022
Post practice, Leclerc comments, "Our qualifying runs don’t look bad, but we have some work to do, in particular on our race pace and on tyre management."
Leclerc adds, "The stints we did on the Soft compound felt better than those on the Mediums. Tonight, we will analyse our latest data to find where we can improve on this track, as the conditions are very different to the last time we were here during winter testing."
Meanwhile, Sainz comments, "A bit of a tricky FP2 compared to a positive FP1, as we struggled a bit with tyres and balance after the changes we made."
The Spaniard adds, "We need to look at it and find the correct adjustments for tomorrow, but we’ve got plenty of data and I’m sure we’ll find a more comfortable set-up. It seems like there is a lot of degradation with the heat, which could be crucial for the race, so we’ll also keep an eye on that. I’m very impressed with the number of fans in the grandstands today."
He concludes, "It’s fantastic to see all these people supporting us and their good vibes are a huge motivation!"
