Ferrari has due to this fact placing within the work in Barcelona with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. On Tuesday, on the primary day of this three-day session on the lovely Montmelò circuit, the Scuderia’s drivers took turns behind the wheel of the SF-23. The Prancing Horse booked the Spanish monitor to make the most of TPC classes, checks regulated by the Worldwide Federation, the place a number of guidelines have to be adopted. These concern the automotive for use, the software program, the tires equipped particularly by Pirelli, and the restricted mileage.
On this context, we can’t merely discuss mere coaching—it might be far too reductive. Indubitably, the restrictions imposed by the FIA make the job of an F1 group significantly extra sophisticated. That’s true. However, there are numerous elements that may be examined and, as such, show very helpful for the trigger. On Tuesday morning, Charles Leclerc centered a part of his session on finding out the tires. We coated this matter intimately in a devoted article as a result of, though the tires are totally different, some insights can nonetheless be drawn.
Furthermore, there was a comparability concerning knowledge assortment with the simulator, a vital software in fashionable F1 for assessing the accuracy of its correlation with real-world situations. This was a part of the work carried out by the Monegasque, who additionally regained a number of the confidence misplaced over the previous months in on-track motion. A really helpful coaching session in a number of respects, as he prepares for the true debut on the Bahrain pre-season checks, the place the brand new automotive shall be unveiled—hopefully showcasing its glorious elementary traits within the Center East.
The state of affairs was barely totally different for the seven-time F1 world champion. The motive force from Stevenage is a veteran of the game’s prime class, with twenty years of expertise in single-seaters. Nevertheless, he can nonetheless be thought of a “rookie” relating to his information of Ferrari—each by way of its automobiles and the distinctive method of the historic Italian group. Subsequently, he must undergo a studying curve that can present him with the inspiration to compete with the Scuderia. Lewis is absolutely dedicated to this course of.
On Tuesday afternoon, throughout Ferrari’s second session, it was his flip to take to the monitor. The British driver accomplished a number of runs, at all times on the wheel of the SF-23. In line with data gathered by the Italian media, Hamilton’s baseline setup differed barely from Leclerc’s. The general downforce stage was the identical however distributed in another way. Hamilton’s driving fashion just isn’t a “copy and paste” of Leclerc’s. There are similarities, certain, however some elements are distinctly totally different between the 2.
Initially, the British driver’s dealing with could be very clean, resembling that of former Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz. The ex-Mercedes driver additionally prefers a really steady rear finish, whereas Charles, on a number of events, has proven he can handle a extra nervous rear if the advantages outweigh the downsides. Throughout his laps, along with simulating a typical race weekend work program, Lewis paid specific consideration to braking phases. He particularly centered on trail-braking, a mandatory method utilized by all F1 drivers.
Within the case of the British driver, it was essential to deepen his preliminary method to Brembo brakes. This entails a exact braking method: making use of heavy strain on the pedal earlier than step by step releasing it because the automotive enters the nook. On the identical time, Hamilton studied the “trailing throttle” to additional stabilize the automotive with a slight quantity of throttle open. Charles is a real grasp of this system, ceaselessly utilizing it in lots of qualifying classes final season. Weight distribution in corners is essential and was a part of Lewis’s coaching.
The seven-time Formulation 1 world champion additionally labored on the automotive’s setup and observe begins. The beginning system is totally different from Mercedes’, with a definite use of the paddles positioned on the rear of the steering wheel. Moreover, he skilled on the assorted energy unit modes, together with engine mapping for the interior combustion engine and the hybrid system of Ferrari’s energy unit, designated 066/12. On the finish of his second day driving a Ferrari, Hamilton was as soon as once more glad.
The suggestions offered to the group was extremely optimistic as he seems to be ahead to testing the SF-24 subsequent week, adopted by runs with the most recent piece of aero-mechanical engineering from the Maranello squad. The total trackside group was not current, however distant help from Maranello was obtainable.
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