Ferrari see improvements in Monza: 'Closer to competitors'
F1 News
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished Friday practice in Monza fifth and third respectively. Both drivers felt positive heading into the rets of the weekend, but know there is still room to improve ahead of qualifying on Saturday.
Positive Friday for Ferrari
Ferrari have had a positive start to their home weekend at Monza. Leclerc finished FP1 in second, before ending FP2 in fifth. Sainz was fourth in the first practice session, whilst finishing third in FP2. Both Leclerc and Sainz were feeling positive after the end of FP2. "It was a very busy and interesting Friday." Sainz began; "The Monza track has changed quite a lot, with very different kerbs and a new surface. For this reason, the challenges and limitations are quite different from previous years and we had to adapt to a new scenario in terms of car setup and understanding tyre degradation. There is quite a lot of work to do tonight in order to improve for tomorrow but overall, it was a positive start to the weekend."
His teammate Leclerc echoed the Spaniard's thoughts. "It was quite a positive day overall," the Monegasque said; "Our performance is good, driving the car felt nice and the upgrades we brought to the car are working as expected. Our main focus will now be on balance, as there is still some margin for improvement on that side.
The race on Sunday will be tricky for everyone, especially because of the new asphalt, so tyre management will be key. We are closer to our competitors than we were in Zandvoort, however, they are still very strong and we will have a lot of competition tomorrow."
Ferrari will be looking to return to the top step of the podium at home in Italy, after a 'surprise' podium in Zandvoort.
Want more Formula 1? Then follow GPblog on our various social media channels!
latest news
17 September 2024
