Ferrari had two Leclercs within the purple vehicles throughout the primary free apply session for the 2024 Method 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Sadly, for the older brother, the free apply begins very late. An issue with the ability unit of automotive quantity 16 stops Charles for nearly half of the session. A headache with the power retailer, this appears to be the difficulty confronted by automotive quantity 16. Which means that all of the preliminary impressions of the SF-24 in Yas Marina model are linked to Arthur, who had by no means participated in a session throughout a Grand Prix earlier than.
Luckily, about half an hour earlier than the top of FP1, the principle Monegasque driver of the Maranello workforce hits the observe. He does so with a set of Pirelli tires with yellow bands. The gearbox is about to Gx3. Charles Leclerc brings the tires as much as temperature utilizing the warm-up mode, then pushes. The lap is nothing greater than a style of the circumstances, the place the purple automotive performs effectively, exhibiting a clear angle. The one flaw is within the final nook, the place Charles is compelled to regulate the rear of the SF-24. His Ferrari race engineer Bryan Bozzi provides the references for this tire, as everybody right here is utilizing the Gentle.
In the meantime, Arthur returns to the pits. It’s onerous to provide a judgment on him. In his case, it’s about studying at the start to drive a Method 1 automotive, in a situation the place, not like checks, there are different vehicles as effectively. The youthful Monegasque driver was nonetheless very clear, cautious to not make errors, following all of the procedures given by his race engineer Riccardo Adami. After a single lap to chill the tires, Charles will get again to critical work. On this case, the engine revs enhance, switching to Engine 4, the usual mapping the Italian workforce makes use of over a 300 kilometers distance.
For that reason, his efficiency improves, though when it comes to lap time it’s nonetheless not nice. However at this second, the Prancing Horse is making an attempt to confirm the baseline setup. One other cool-down after which full throttle once more, elevating the engine revs additional by switching to Engine 3. A specific selection, because the extra aggressive mapping is often chosen immediately. The Ferrari driver wanted to enhance in corners 1, 6, and seven, and certainly he does. The essential steadiness of the automotive nonetheless appears superb.
Now the query is what to do, as time is working out. Leclerc may select to do one other lap with the Mediums after which have two full-throttle laps with the Softs, or change instantly to the quicker tires and have three laps out there. Charles opts for the primary choice, in an try to collect extra knowledge with the tires that provide extra constant efficiency. After finishing this further lap, he heads to the pits for a tire change.
In the course of the in-lap, he performs a few constant-speed laps, permitting the workforce to check the automotive’s aerodynamics. The Ferrari quantity 16 stops on the spot in entrance of the storage. The mechanics exchange the tires, and he rapidly returns to the observe with Engine 5. With the Mediums, the suggestions within the sluggish sections was good. Nonetheless, the load switch within the medium-speed part at nook 5, when the driving force accelerates, didn’t appear optimum. Moreover, in comparison with the McLaren, the SF-24 has to cowl extra distance at sure factors on the observe and not far away because it delays the entry.
We additionally noticed a slight bouncing within the cornering phases. The lap development with the yellow-banded tires was aimed toward maximizing the sluggish and medium-speed corners, neglecting the quicker ones barely. From this issue, we will deduce that the automotive’s setup is mostly much less stiff in comparison with direct rivals, as we had anticipated in our ordinary preview. With the Softs, each Leclercs attempt to give their greatest. Arthur lags nearly two seconds behind his brother, however as talked about, in his case, the lap occasions didn’t matter a lot.
With the red-banded Pirelli tires, the principle Ferrari driver instantly tops the time sheets, though he encounters some site visitors, which doesn’t assist. Nonetheless, the surplus rotation is minimized because of the additional grip supplied by the tires. There are nonetheless some small points at nook 5, the place to succeed in the apex, there’s a slight oversteer when the automotive’s lateral load is at its most. In nook 9, the primary after the lengthy high-speed part, it’s noticeable that McLaren manages the racing line higher by smoothing the nook, whereas Charles covers extra meters.
There’s additionally some oversteer in sector 3, however nothing extreme. It stays to be seen how the tires are used, because the hysteresis cycle must be accomplished optimally to carry out effectively within the third sector and keep away from overheating. Regardless of the session being disrupted by the difficulty, Leclerc did effectively to stay calm and, by shortening the work, nonetheless managed to collect helpful knowledge. He additionally managed to finish a mini race simulation, nonetheless utilizing the Softs, not like the opposite drivers who did it with the Mediums, given they’d extra time.
Though the purple automotive within the Abu Dhabi model gave the impression to be superb, sadly, the information arrives that stuns the followers: the battery pack on automotive quantity 16 has been modified. Which means that Charles Leclerc will face a ten-position grid penalty for Sunday’s race on the 5.281-kilometre Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island. A really robust blow for the Maranello workforce, which sadly complicates the battle within the Constructors’ Championship towards McLaren.
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