Esteban Ocon is not yet satisfied with his car after the first day of practice at the Spanish Grand Prix. However, the Haas F1 driver remains positive about the rest of the weekend and is confident he can make good progress after completing only one free practice session on Friday.
“It wasn’t easy, we have a lot to understand because the car didn’t feel ideal, something was missing here and there—consistency, balance, grip—and we need to see how to optimise everything. There was only one fast lap on soft tyres, there will be more tomorrow and we hope to capitalise on that,” said Ocon.
Asked about potential damage caused by Ryo Hirakawa, who was driving his car and went off track in FP1, the Frenchman confirmed there was nothing wrong: “No, it was fine!”
He also revealed that the technical directive requiring less flexible front wings did not result in any major change in terms of car performance or handling: “No, in that regard, it was very similar, it didn’t make a big difference for us. It’s the same as usual for us.”
Oliver Bearman was disappointed with his day, which included a high-speed spin in Turn 3, luckily without consequence: “It was a tough day, especially in FP2. I had issues with high-speed balance, I had a scare and it cost me time.”
“It’s a shame, we’ve got work to do tonight to improve the car’s predictability. But if we find the right operating window, we should be in a good position, as the car was quick in FP1.”
Ryo Hirakawa encountered a minor issue during his free practice session, going off into the gravel. Fortunately, he was able to experience the hot conditions in Barcelona and help the team gather data.
“I appreciate the opportunity the team gave me, the trip through the gravel wasn’t necessary. I had a brake issue that lasted the whole session, I didn’t feel comfortable in the car and I had trouble stopping it,” said the Japanese driver.
“But the car was much better than in Bahrain thanks to several upgrades. With these temperatures, though, you really have to manage how you drive, and it was very difficult, but after that, the session went well. So I’m happy, in the end.”
The issue wasn’t too severe: “I think even with the issue, there are some corners where you don’t brake too hard, so I was able to push in some fast corners, try some settings and help the team. I would have preferred not to have the issue but it was okay.”
Though it was only his second official run with Haas, it was mainly the temperatures that surprised Hirakawa: “I’ve had the chance to drive with several teams earlier this season, but I didn’t have much experience with these kinds of temperatures.”
He explained what went through his mind when he went off into the gravel: “I hoped I wouldn’t stall the car, but thanks to my endurance experience, I managed to keep it going.”
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