Scuderia Ferrari didn’t disappear from the ultimate free apply session for the Singapore Grand Prix. The changes made to the F1 automobile resulted in an excellent balanced chassis. What didn’t work was the warm-up of the tires. An incorrect warm-up cycle that, in fact, considerably decreased the grip of the SF-24 with working temperatures removed from the proper values. It’s exhausting to find out if the tweaks to the setup of the automobile one way or the other contributed to the situation noticed within the final apply session. Solely these instantly concerned know. A method or one other, nonetheless, there may be time to recuperate and current themselves in the very best means for qualifying.
This isn’t the primary time that the Prancing Horse has suffered from such issues. Everybody will certainly keep in mind the weekend in Canada. Or, with out going too far again, let’s consider the Belgian Grand Prix the place, till Q2, automobile quantity 16 struggled to make the lower. Then, within the closing a part of the session, Charles Leclerc nailed the warm-up and, like magic, the efficiency elevated sufficient to even safe pole place. It stays to be seen how this example shall be managed by the Italian group. It’s definitely not a easy context, however it doesn’t routinely condemn the Maranello group.
Singapore is an atypical monitor. A avenue circuit the place it isn’t straightforward to completely nail all the main points. Furthermore, the significance of the beginning grid is essential, as those that begin on the entrance have glorious possibilities of profitable contemplating the issue of overtaking. Ferrari is aware of this, and because of this, they need to do every little thing to compete on equal phrases with McLaren. Failing to take action can be a significant disappointment, as technically the SF-24 in Singapore configuration has proven the potential to win. All that’s left is to attend for occasions and see what occurs.
Now let’s take an in depth have a look at how occasions unfolded for the 2 Ferrari SF-24 automobiles in qualifying on the 4.94-kilometre Marina Bay Road Circuit:
All the things is prepared for the beginning of the qualifying session. Contained in the Ferrari storage, there’s a sure chatter targeted on the ultimate particulars. First, let’s check out the climate situations on the evening of Singapore: 29.5°C air temperature, 32.2°C monitor floor temperature. Humidity at 80%, wind velocity of 1.1 km/h blowing from the south. The flag is inexperienced, the Ferrari drivers are of their automobiles able to hit the monitor. The sign comes, the engines begin, and off they go for this primary outing on the Malaysian asphalt. For this run, the 2 purple automobiles are fitted with a set of red-marked tires.
We’re speaking concerning the tire that prompted important difficulties for the Prancing Horse within the final a part of FP3. Subsequently, will probably be attention-grabbing to see if the group has instantly understood handle this issue. Within the outlap, the rear brakes are used loads to heat up the again finish. The nice and cozy-up should be carried out correctly. Charles Leclerc speaks on the radio and addresses this facet, stating that the tires have been too chilly in FP3. Bozzi suggests braking exhausting through the preparation lap. Then they change to push mode, let’s see what occurs.
Charles Leclerc completes a really clear lap earlier than shifting on to a double quiet down lap. Carlos Sainz, however, makes a mistake at flip 1 and prefers to carry off to retry the nook afterward. The Spaniard additionally places collectively an excellent lap. Each Ferrari drivers lose fairly a little bit of time in S1. Plainly flip 7 is a degree the place the purple automobiles wrestle essentially the most. Through the second try, Charles makes a mistake within the second sector, which clearly slows him down. He’s additionally not good within the third sector. However, he improves his time. It’s a disgrace concerning the errors as a result of the efficiency was robust.
Charles Leclerc decides and asks to handle the soundness of the automobile at flip 13, adjusting the brake steadiness. A transfer agreed upon by the group. As for the Spaniard, he registers a not glorious lap that nonetheless mirrors the earlier one. For now, no less than, it appears that evidently the tire drawback has not offered itself. In that case, it could be a fantastic aid for the Maranello group. The 2 SF-24s return to the storage, ready to see if the time checks are ample to make the lower. Apparently not, as each purple automobiles return to the monitor.
Once more, new red-marked Pirelli tires. There’s some site visitors within the pit lane, however after a couple of seconds, the Ferrari drivers can return to the Marina Bay monitor floor. They proceed with the identical warm-up used beforehand, extra aggressive than that noticed in apply. A single try the place the “two Carlos” go the lower. Nonetheless, whereas Charles can abort, the Spaniard is pressured to complete the lap the place he makes a mistake at flip 13 that prices him no less than three-tenths. Good indicators up to now, however the precise tempo of the SF-24 in qualifying remains to be unclear.
A short pause and again to pushing. Apparently, with the present monitor situations, overheating appears to be underneath management. To do that, they need to handle a sure oversteering tendency that the purple automobile has proven up to now in qualifying. Q2 will undoubtedly present extra concrete suggestions on this regard. Through the outlap, they proceed extra slowly than earlier than. Plainly the upper asphalt temperature might assist to hit the proper tire utilization window. Push mode within the final nook and off for the primary try.
For this primary run, the group selected to mount used Comfortable compound tires on each automobiles. Charles Leclerc, with the scrubbed tires, managed to put himself between the 2 McLarens. A extremely good tempo for the Monegasque who, regardless of making a couple of errors, nonetheless managed to extract good efficiency from the SF-24. The Madrilenian struggled extra, displaying much less confidence along with his automobile in comparison with his teammate. They returned to the storage the place an adjustment was made to the entrance wing of automobile quantity 55: “level 1 up.” No modifications have been made for Charles. Contained in the storage, the Ferrari group rigorously studied the telemetry. A really helpful transfer to know the factors on the monitor the place they might improve efficiency for the following run. The mechanics fitted a brand new set of red-marked Pirelli tires on each automobiles, which left the pit lane a couple of minutes later. The standard routine for warming up the tires didn’t appear to trigger too many issues for the historic Italian group at this stage of qualifying. Carlos Sainz wanted to enhance as a result of it was famous that he hadn’t been capable of totally exploit the potential of his automobile up to now.
Each drivers began their laps after participating push mode, in a efficiency situation that shouldn’t face explicit obstacles from site visitors. Charles put collectively an excellent lap, with only one mistake in T3, dropping a tenth in that occasion. He positioned himself behind Verstappen, taking third place only a tenth behind chief Norris. Sainz fared worse, dropping virtually half a second. Plainly qualifying shall be very tight till the top, with a number of groups preventing for the highest spots till the final second.
The time to get severe has arrived. It stays to be seen who nonetheless has one thing in reserve, able to unleash most efficiency. The percentages favor Lando Norris, who has been the quickest since FP3. The Brit is profiting from his MCL38, an entire and really aggressive automobile on this monitor. After yet one more temporary cease within the storage, the engines of the purple automobiles roar again to life. It’s time to offer every little thing they’ve. The 2 Ferraris go away the pit field. They’re nonetheless on Comfortable tires, this time with a brand new set.
Focus is at its peak, evidently. The monitor floor temperature has risen by two levels in comparison with the start of qualifying. The Ferrari group is engaged within the outlap, which is kind of fast this time. Charles Leclerc encounters site visitors and prefers to decelerate a bit earlier than accelerating once more in S3. Simply because the Monegasque had cleared flip 3, he needed to decelerate as a result of his teammate misplaced management of the rear finish at flip 18. The Spaniard crashed into the boundaries, damaging the rear of his SF-24. Fairly a multitude.
On the radio, he’s knowledgeable that his tires have been nonetheless too chilly. It’s an actual disgrace as a result of the Spaniard should begin from tenth place. It stays to be seen the extent of the injury and whether or not will probably be obligatory to alter the transmission of SF-24 quantity 55. It takes a while to take away automobile quantity 55 from the monitor and permit the stewards to scrub up the particles and repair the boundaries. We’re speaking about about quarter-hour of purple flag. As soon as every little thing is cleared, the one Ferrari returns to the monitor, now on new Comfortable tires.
With solely 3 minutes remaining, there may be simply sufficient time to set a time. All the things is on the road for this “one shot,” because the English say. The Monegasque’s outlap follows the identical sample because the earlier ones. Leclerc makes house to attempt to cross the road with the tires as heat as attainable. A sure nervousness is noticeable on the radio, as the stress is admittedly excessive. Charles units off for his lap however overcooks it, carrying an excessive amount of velocity into flip 1. This implies his time is canceled, and he has to accept ninth place. A troublesome blow for the Ferrari group, which utterly squandered qualifying.
On the return lap, the Ferrari driver may be very offended. He opens up on the radio and vents as finest he can. Charles Leclerc talks about an adjustment urged by the pit wall earlier than his final try that difficult issues. It apparently isn’t a tire-related issue. For that reason, he seeks clarification, as he believes the entrance finish of his SF-24 didn’t work because it ought to have. Bryan Bozzi tries to calm him down and, disheartened, admits he doesn’t have a solution at that second. That is the account of a session that clearly couldn’t have gone worse.
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