less worse than usual, but there will be surprises

09/12/2020 Italy

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Just a sign and the enthusiasm of the Ferrari people overflows. It could not be otherwise, given that Formula 1 is not competing on a random circuit, and they are not on the eve of one of the many Grand Prix.

This is Mugello, and the 1000th Scuderia race, so a Charles Leclerc who opened the weekend with the third fastest time in FP1 seemed to the Reds (of which a representation repopulated a small part of the stands toscanas) a pass to return to dream big, forgetting Monza.

Taking with a grain of salt the results of the first two sessions completed on a track that Formula 1 previously only tested in a few tests, however, a different picture emerges, in which Ferrari seems to have everything to improve its position relative to a week ago. at Monza, but without ‘miracles’ as Leclerc’s feat in FP1 might suggest.

A few hours later, the Monegasque and Vettel closed the second free practice session respectively in tenth and twelfth positions, unleashing a decisive setback, that is, the Ferrari of Monza is back.

Probably the potential of the SF1000 in the 15 Mugello corners is in the middle, between the results obtained in the two sessions, also confirmed by the cautious optimism of Mattia Binotto.

In the FP2 round, both Leclerc and Vettel completed only one fastest lap, due to the red flag which shortened the available time.

Vettel reduced his time by seven tenths, Leclerc increased it by three. In the two sessions, many teams tried different setup solutions, and even the fuel loads were in very different cases, so these are findings that still do not accurately draw the values in the field, especially in the middle of qualifying.

Leclerc confirmed his Friday as “positive”, also specifying that “you have to understand why.”

According to the Monegasque, the day of filming carried out by Ferrari last June helped prepare the race weekend with very valuable information, and in fact the weekend started with different results than Monza and Spa.

This shouldn’t make the Ferraris people run too far, but it’s realistic to expect a Ferrari that can make it back to Q3, a goal that (after the final two rounds of the championship), if achieved, would be a welcome return to Q3. normality, always. far from the desired goals, but also far from the defeat of Monza.

Work continues on two fronts: qualifying performance and the dreaded tire grip in the race. The second headache is common to the entire paddock, and has remained somewhat hidden since the interruption of the FP2 red flag reduced the time available for race simulations.

A problem, that of the tires, that could become a small opportunity for Leclerc and Vettel, but only if the SF1000 proves to be less aggressive in all three compounds.

Tomorrow it will be interesting to assess which teams can afford to go into Q3 using medium tires, an option that today seemed to be within the reach of Mercedes and Max Verstappen.

If Ferrari manages not to start with a compound handicap compared to its direct rivals, it will be excellent news for Leclerc and Vettel, otherwise the race will start uphill also from the finish line of the points zone.

“I have a bit of optimism,” Leclerc summed up, perfectly conveying the idea of the feeling that one lives in the Ferrari garage, and it is fair to think of something positive looking at that red ‘burgundy’ that testifies to a unique journey through the Grand Prize of 1000.