Ferrari Faces Uphill Battle in Qatar Sprint Qualifying
Losail, Qatar – The Ferrari team is looking for a rebound after a disappointing qualifying sprint run at the Qatar Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. will start Saturday’s shorter race in fourth and fifth positions respectively, trailing the McLaren duo and George Russell in his Mercedes.
Frédéric Vasseur, Ferrari’s team principal, acknowledged the challenges ahead. "The car worked much better in practice," Vasseur said, "but in the final qualifying session on Friday there was too much understeer, and this caused serious problems.”
The high-speed, flowing layout of the Lusail International Circuit seems to be exposing vulnerabilities in the Ferrari SF-24, leading to a degree of understeer that hampered their performance.
"If we try to find positive aspects, we can remind you that the main number of points will be awarded only on Sunday," Vasseur noted, highlighting the importance of Sunday’s main race. "So we must respond and prepare as well as possible for Saturday’s qualification in order to have a good car in Sunday’s race."
The team plans to make adjustments to the car’s setup after the sprint race, taking advantage of the opportunity provided by the "park closed" regulations. However, the true pace of the cars remains somewhat unclear.
"It is still very difficult to get a real idea, because in training no one really worked on long series of laps, so we cannot estimate how intense the rubber granulation will be," Vasseur explained.
With the sprint scheduled for earlier in the day when asphalt temperatures are higher, tire wear might be less of a factor.
Ferrari fans will be hoping for a strong showing from the drivers in the sprint race, aiming to gain valuable grid positions for Sunday’s main event. Only then can they truly unleash their competitive spirit and challenge for a podium finish.
Based on the results of the qualifying sprint, the Ferrari drivers will start the short race on Saturday from the 4th and 5th position, behind the two cars of McLaren and George Russell’s Mercedes.
Frederic Vasseur, head of the Scuderia, referring to these decisions, said that the team intends to change the position of the car after the sprint.
The long, high-speed corners of the Qatar circuit are not the best for the SF-24, and on the tracks of this configuration, the weaknesses of this chassis are revealed, including a slight lack of strength in the car, which is why the understeer starts to show
Frédéric Vasseur: “The car worked much better in practice, but in the final qualifying session on Friday there was too much understeer, and this caused serious problems.
If we try to find positive aspects, we can remind you that the main number of points will be awarded only on Sunday, so we must respond and prepare as well as possible for Saturday’s qualification in order to have a good car in Sunday’s race.
Park closed rules apply until the end of the sprint, but then we will be able to make changes to the settings before the main qualification. As for the speed, it is still very difficult to get a real idea, because in training no one really worked on long series of laps, so we cannot estimate how intense the rubber granulation will be .
And the sprint is scheduled for earlier in the day, when the asphalt temperature will be a little higher, and the granulation should appear a little less. “
2024-11-30 09:06:00
#Ferrari #change #settings #sprint
## Ferrari Faces Uphill Battle in Qatar Sprint Qualifying: An Expert Interview with James Allen
**World-Today-News.com:** Ferrari’s ambitions for a strong showing at the Qatar Grand prix have taken a hit after a disappointing sprint qualifying session. We spoke to motorsport expert james Allen to analyze the team’s performance and the challenges they face moving forward.
**World-Today-News.com:** James, Ferrari seemed poised for a strong showing after practice sessions. What happened in qualifying that resulted in Leclerc and Sainz starting fourth and fifth?
**James Allen:** It was indeed a surprise to see Ferrari performance drop off in the crucial qualifying session. Several factors likely contributed to this. Firstly, the track conditions changed significantly from practice, with the wind picking up and leading to a more unstable rear-end for the Ferrari.
Secondly, both Leclerc and Sainz struggled with tire temperatures, which hampered their ability to extract maximum grip, especially in the critical final sector. Remember,Qatar’s track surface is notoriously abrasive,and getting the tires working efficiently is crucial for lap time.
Lastly, McLaren and Mercedes capitalized on these Ferrari weaknesses. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri for McLaren demonstrated exceptionally strong pace,while George russell,in the Mercedes,maximized his car’s potential on a track that seems to suit the Silver Arrows.
**World-Today-News.com:** Frédéric Vasseur, Ferrari’s Team Principal, mentioned the car “worked much better in practice.” How much of this is down to set-up adjustments and how much is due to the changing track conditions?
**James Allen:** Vasseur is acknowledging that the Ferrari set-up was likely optimized for the conditions they experienced in practice. However, as the track temperature dropped and the wind picked up, the car became less predictable. This suggests that Ferrari might have focused too heavily on a specific set-up window that proved to be susceptible to these changes. Adapt
ability is key in motorsport, and Ferrari seemingly struggled to adapt quickly enough to the evolving track conditions.
**World-Today-News.com:** Looking ahead to the sprint race, do you think Ferrari can close the gap to the leaders?
**James Allen:** It’s going to be a tough challenge. The shorter sprint format emphasizes race pace over outright qualifying speed, which could favor Ferrari, as their long-run performance has generally been strong. However,
starting behind both McLarens and George Russell puts them at a disadvantage.
Overtaking at Losail can be tricky, and Ferrari will need a solid start and smart strategy to work their way through the field. They’ll also need to pray for some good fortune on track, perhaps a slight stumble from their rivals, to regain lost ground.
**World-Today-News.com:** can Ferrari still salvage a podium finish from this starting position?
**James Allen:** While a podium isn’t unachievable, it will be a challenging feat. Ferrari needs things to go their way, a combination of good starts, sharp strategy calls, and perhaps some mistakes from their competitors.
But they cannot afford a repeat of their qualifying struggles in the sprint race.They need to get the tire temperatures right, manage the evolving track conditions and extract maximum performance from the car. Only than will they have a fighting chance to climb up the order and claim a podium finish.
The Qatar grand Prix is shaping up to be an exciting battle.Ferrari faces an uphill battle, but their history reminds us they never shy away from a challenge. Let’s see if they can turn the tables in the sprint race.
