Formula 1

Ferrari anticipates a stronger showing at Jeddah Corniche Circuit

Published

2 weeks ago

13/03/2023

After a tough start in Bahrain, Ferrari is eager to rebound at the newly introduced Jeddah Corniche Circuit. With concerns surrounding tyre degradation, Carlos Sainz is hopeful that the team’s chances will improve on the circuit’s newer, less abrasive tarmac surface.

Following a challenging start in Bahrain, the driver of the Ferrari anticipates a higher level of competitiveness from the team at the newly introduced Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

The poor tyre degradation issue that originated from their F1-75 continues to afflict Ferrari, as evidenced by their performance at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Despite the Sakhir track being notorious for its harsh impact on tyres due to the absence of resurfacing since its debut in 2004, both drivers from Ferrari encountered difficulties with tyre management throughout the race weekend.

Carlos Sainz is optimistic that the tyre degradation issue will be less of a concern for Ferrari at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia, due to the circuit’s newer tarmac surface which is less abrasive compared to Bahrain. In an interview with the media, including F1Lead.com, he expressed his belief that the team will have a better chance to compete in the upcoming race as the tarmac will permit them to push more without experiencing significant tyre wear.

“Having only competed in one race with these cars thus far, namely Bahrain, it is apparent to us after seven days of testing that we encountered certain challenges at that particular circuit.

“However, it is important that we remain attentive and adapt to any challenges we may encounter at Jeddah due to the circuit’s different tarmac surface. There is a possibility that tyre degradation could be more concentrated on the front tyres, which could introduce a new set of difficulties for us to overcome.”

“Although we cannot say for sure, there is a chance that the new tarmac surface could be beneficial to us, or it may not have a significant impact. Despite the uncertainty, I opt to remain optimistic.”

According to Sainz, Ferrari has made significant improvements in three key areas when compared to last year, which are: straight line speed, starts, and pitstops.

However, GPS analysis from Bahrain qualifying suggests that although Ferrari was faster on the main straights, Max Verstappen was able to gain an advantage in the braking zones and when exiting corners due to better traction.

Despite the encouraging results for Ferrari, such as producing the fastest pit stop of the weekend with Charles Leclerc’s 2.22 second stop compared to 2.25 seconds for Verstappen, Sainz remains aware that Red Bull has made significant progress with their car performance which puts Ferrari at a disadvantage.

Sainz acknowledges that Ferrari has made progress in the areas of straight line speed, starts, and pit stops compared to last year. However, he recognizes that the team still faces challenges with tyre degradation while also acknowledging that Red Bull has made notable strides in their car’s performance since the end of last season.

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