2024 F1 Mexico GP qualifying review: Ferrari on pole with a super Carlos Sainz
Yesterday at 07:46 PM
The twentieth qualifying session of the 2024 Formula 1 took place earlier today at the 4.304-kilometre Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. Despite a solid first day of track action in Mexico City, Ferrari did not arrive as well as expected. The main reason is one: the chosen aero-mechanical compromise was effective but did not seem enough to compete head-to-head with the powerful McLaren cars based on what was seen in the final free practice session. The Woking team has indeed made a significant performance leap between Friday and the Mexican Saturday. It's a big step forward, as they really made a difference as soon as they started pushing hard in the second sector, which features rapid succession corners. The same goes for Max Verstappen's Red Bull.
The "main loss" for the Ferrari becomes evident in the second sector. To be more precise, we are talking about the section of the track from corner 7 to corner 11. A certain instability prevents the two SF-24 cars from performing at their best with the throttle fully down. On average, there is about a 5 kilometers per hour difference that, in terms of lap times, creates a gap of about three-tenths of a second. Ferrari could consider limiting the damage through better handling using the tires. Alternatively, they could implement a last-minute change.
A tweak to the suspension setup to try to provide the all-red F1 car's aerodynamic platform with more substance. However, this is a risky change, as if it doesn't work as planned, there wouldn't be enough time to revert due to the parc fermé regulations. Considering that in the race, the speeds through this type of corner decrease to manage the tires, we can understand this limitation of the Ferrari; perhaps the wisest action would have been to leave everything as is and rely on Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc to optimize performance.
Now let’s take a detailed look at how events unfolded for the Maranello team in the qualifying session for the Mexico City Grand Prix:
The Ferrari drivers are in their cars. The time to get serious has arrived. Let's take a look at the weather conditions and the reference plan, the track surface to be precise: 22.3 degrees celsius air temperature, 44 degrees celsius track surface temperature. Humidity at 41%, wind speed at 1.3 kilometers per hour blowing from the northwest. There is a certain buzz within the garage. The Maranello technicians are discussing warm-up strategy and performance optimization after thoroughly studying the telemetry. Just seconds before the green light, the signal comes from the mechanics to start the engines.
For this first run of the qualifying session, the two Maranello cars hit the track on Pirelli yellow-banded tires. Tires that the Italian team hadn't yet used up to this point. As always, the warm-up will be crucial to maximize performance by accessing the maximum grip offered by the compounds. Carlos Sainz immediately feels more comfortable than his Maranello teammate, which is why he gains a solid four-tenths. Charles Leclerc's lap wasn't good, and he acknowledges it over the radio. The biggest difference is seen in the first sector and the last two corners.
The Ferrari cars make a pit stop before returning to the track. They take two cool-down laps before pushing again. During this time, there's an endless stream of advice on how to improve the handling of the cars. In the second attempt, Carlos Sainz suffers from oversteer exiting corner 2, while the rest of the lap is clean. Charles Leclerc doesn't show any particular issues but is simply slower than his teammate. The Ferrari drivers lower their lap times and then return to the garage, with the Spaniard being stopped at the scales.
The Italian F1 team considers the lap times insufficient, and for this reason, they send the cars back onto the track, this time with brand new Soft tires. The Ferrari drivers start their lap knowing they could lift off if the previous times are good enough to make the cut. Charles Leclerc starts very strong in the first sector, but is not precise in the final part of the track. In contrast, the Spaniard is more balanced and gains two-tenths on his teammate. The problem in the second sector remains, as those infamous three-tenths of performance on the McLaren still loom large.
In the second part of the qualifying session, the quality of the F1 cars will be more apparent. Traffic will be a lesser issue, as several drivers have been disrupted in the second sector. It's not always easy to let those coming from behind through in that section. Referring back to Q1, we can say that stability seems better in the fast corners. However, pure performance is lacking, specifically to avoid the cars sliding and losing grip. While in the first sector, despite the fact that the Ferrari is very strong, it “sets aside” a smaller gain compared to Friday. Here we go, it's track time again.
The two red cars leave the pit lane. They do so again on red-banded Pirelli tires, the set used previously in the last attempt of Q1. A lot of attention is given to the tire warm-up process. This intent will mainly serve to increase confidence with the car, in anticipation of the second lap that will effectively be the crucial time to make the cut and access the final part of the qualifying session. The call to exit is well-timed, and the SF-24 cars start their lap without issues. Charles Leclerc suffers a slide at corner 9, and although he doesn't lift off, his lap is ruined.
Carlos Sainz fares better, managing his lap well. They now pass through the pits to change tires and try to give their all in the next flying attempt. After a brief pause, the reds return to the Mexican track surface. The engines of the red cars roar to life again. There can't be any mistakes in the warm-up for this crucial attempt to advance in what seems to be a more complicated qualifying than expected. On the last corner, they switch to race mode and then go full throttle. These are two good attempts, with the second sector improving significantly. The work on handling pays off. They make the cut for the final round.
Shortly after the Ferrari drivers complete their first Q3 laps, Yuki Tsunoda stalls at corner 12. The race control displays the red flag to allow the marshals to retrieve the Japanese driver's car and fix the barriers. Fortunately, McLaren and Red Bull have only one driver each. On one side, Sergio Perez continues to disappoint, and this time Oscar Piastri also joins him, eliminated in Q1 due to rookie errors. This means the SF-24 cars have only two challengers, namely Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. It would be nice to beat at least one of the two. The stop is quite lengthy. In the meantime, we can say that Ferrari has two new Soft tires to use.
The engines roar to life. The two Maranello cars hit the track on new red-banded tires. The outlap looks quite aggressive, trying to achieve maximum grip by the first corner of the Central American circuit. Carlos Sainz launches first, followed closely by Charles Leclerc just a few seconds later. Unfortunately, the Spaniard makes a slight mistake exiting corner 2, as his lap is looking very good. The same cannot be said for the Monegasque, who loses ground in corners 3, 6, and 12 compared to his teammate. Adding this gap accumulated during the lap, he finds himself three and a half tenths behind.
The reds return to the pits. The drivers are asked about a possible adjustment to the front load, which is not necessary for either of them. The moment to give their all has arrived. Everything is at stake in the last lap. Charles Leclerc needs to push harder and try to at least stay in the slipstream of his teammate's time. Carlos Sainz is on fire and lowers his lap time even further. This time allows him to secure the pole position. It's truly a masterful performance. Unfortunately for Charles Leclerc, he makes a mistake and is frustrated, suffering instability in the usual second sector of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. He only manages the fourth-fastest time, but it’s all to play for on Sunday.
— see video above —
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