P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Carlos Sainz has explained how a change in the wind direction impacted Ferrari’s prospects as he qualified in fifth position at Formula 1’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. With Charles Leclerc having topped the opening two practice sessions at Imola, Ferrari had been touted as the favourites to land pole position heading into qualifying. However, the […]
Despite Ferrari’s strong performance in the practice sessions at Imola, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz fell short during the qualifying session, with Max Verstappen and the McLarens showing superior pace in the shootout. Leclerc ended up two-tenths behind Verstappen, with Sainz three-tenths further back, despite Ferrari introducing updates to their SF-24 car. Sainz expressed surprise at the lack of pace on the Soft compound, especially compared to Red Bull and McLaren. Ferrari needs to anticipate wind changes and work on vulnerabilities highlighted at Imola, such as struggles in Sector 1 and generating heat in the tires. Sainz acknowledged McLaren’s pace advantage in single-lap conditions since their upgrades in Miami, making it challenging for Ferrari to compete.
