Sainz and Leclerc admit huge problems with tires in race mode : F1LV Blog

Carlos Sainz has admitted that the Ferrari car’s improvements may not have been on full display at the Spanish stage, as this is a track where the team was initially expected to perform the worst of the season. However, both pilots of the unit admitted that there are currently huge problems with tire wear in racing mode.

Sainz loses podium positions

On his home track, Sainz qualified in second place, however, in race mode, Ferrari’s problems with tire wear arose again. As a result, he was overtaken by both Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, as well as Sergio Perez from Red Bull, relegating him to fifth place at the finish.

Sainz points out that the fast corners typical of the Barcelona circuit wear out the front tires in particular, a typical problem for Ferrari this season.

“Honestly, I spent the whole race saving the tires because we know our car is putting a lot of stress on them,” says the driver. “On a tire-demanding track like this, I just couldn’t drive with the gas on the floor. We know this is a problem with our machine. On such a track and with two pit stops, we had to do it, as we had to think, whether we would be able to complete the planned lap time before changing the tires, and it was not always possible. Our car’s weaknesses come to life on tracks like this, where there are fast corners and a lot of stress on the tires. However, it also shows that we did a good job in qualifying. In competition mode, the car demonstrated what it really is now.”

Sainz admitted that the improvements may not have brought the expected results precisely because the team has one of the most inconvenient Barcelona tracks.

“It’s hard to say,” said the Spanish pilot when asked if the improvements had the expected effect. “I know that a lot of work went into the factory to get them. Maybe we implemented them on the track that is the weakest for us all season. So we may not yet have seen what these improvements will actually bring. Knowing our weaknesses with the car dolphining and problems at high speed, I never expected to be competitive here.”

Leclair highlights tire issues

Charles Leclair started from the pits and did not win points, remaining in 11th position. The athlete did not hide that Ferrari’s problems with the tires are huge, and in the race the car therefore had very poor turnability in corners.

“I started with hard tires, because we predicted that they would be very good, but for some reason they were very bad – there was no grip at all, especially at the front,” explains Leclair. “Compared to the qualification, the weak points that we had already predicted stood out. We never manage to complete the planned number of laps between pit stops, but when we do, it is a surprise to ourselves. The tires got the right temperature, but the layering was proportionally even greater, so the turning of the car was crazy. There is still a lot to be done.”

Sainz is sixth in the overall F1 standings, Leclair is 16 points behind him in seventh place. In the team standings, “Ferrari” currently occupies the fourth position, 34 points behind “Aston Martin”.

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