On the first day of testing Verstappen was not in the lead. Leclerc showed that Ferrari is capable of fighting for pole. But there is still work
A sixth outside the standards recently stipulated in F1. Two sessions and we didn’t have a Red Bull in the lead. What attracted the most attention wasn’t even FP1, where Lando Norris set the best time. But rather the results of TL2, which appear to be more important to know what the real situation of the group is.
This time Charles Leclerc was the fastest in FP2. So far, no major drama, as we saw happen last year. What caught the attention was the difference between Ferrari and Verstappen: almost 4 tenths.
Sainz and Leclerc’s impression from the start was that the SF24 was clearly an evolution of the SF23. And now in Melbourne, at least on this first day, things have gone well: despite the changes made to ensure greater fluidity and increase speed, the Albert Park track requires good traction. And Ferrari has delivered results so far.
What made us believe that Red Bull may have some “shadows” in this phase was the race simulation: Leclerc also did some good laps on the medium tyres, followed closely by Perez. Verstappen did not find a good set-up and drove little: one of the reasons was having to move the floor of the car due to a crash in FP1, which made him lose time for FP2 (he entered the track only after 20 minutes of training).
However, what is speculated is that Ferrari would use a more powerful engine mode than the competition, which would explain this good pace, especially from Leclerc. Not to mention that Red Bull hasn’t found a good line so far, especially in the low corners. It was strange to see Verstappen struggling with the car at times during Friday.
Who can also shine is McLaren. Melbourne is a more favorable track for the MCL38 and both Norris and Piastri show good pace, even in the race simulation. The following table, with another notable work by Toni Sokolov, shows the general situation.
In any case, Ferrari proves to be strong in this Australian GP. The teams will do all the work to try to understand the data and plan the rest of the weekend because, although the track is not abrasive, the asphalt gains a lot from one session to the next due to the rubber. This point gains importance given the use of the softer range for this weekend…
Source: Terra
Emma is a professional author and journalist, working at 247 News Update. With years of experience, she brings a unique perspective and in-depth analysis to her work.
