Only a tenth behind Kimi Antonelli on Friday in Madrid, Lewis Hamilton believes that Ferrari has a good base. But the balance of the SF-26 still needs to improve before qualifying.
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Ferrari showed an encouraging level of performance for its first laps on the Madring. Fourth in FP1 then third in FP2, Lewis Hamilton ended the day just over a tenth behind Kimi Antonelli, who set the best time in the second session. Enough to fuel some ambitions before the Spanish Grand Prix qualifying.
The profile of the new Madrid circuit also seems to suit the SF-26 relatively well, with its many 90-degree corners, chicanes, and low-speed acceleration zones. Hamilton remains cautious though: the Ferrari seemed harder to place in its operating window as the day progressed and the Briton now demands improvements in terms of balance.
Hamilton wants to improve the balance of his Ferrari
The first laps had nevertheless left a very positive impression on the seven-time world champion. Hamilton believes Ferrari immediately had a good base, before encountering more difficulties during the rest of the program.
“It’s a really nice circuit to drive and FP1 was a good starting point for us. But as the day went on, it became a bit harder to place the car in the right operating window.”
With qualifying scheduled 24 hours after FP2, Ferrari will have to understand why the behavior of its car has changed and determine the settings that will allow Hamilton to fully exploit his potential on Saturday.
“So there are several elements we need to analyze, especially regarding balance. It’s a new circuit for everyone and we have gathered a lot of useful data that we will now study.”
Despite these difficulties, Hamilton mainly retains the encouraging aspects of this first day.
“There is clearly some positive to take away and we will work to take another step before qualifying.”
Ferrari especially does not want to shine too early
Fred Vasseur shares this caution. For the Ferrari team principal, the times set on Friday are relatively secondary due to the considerable expected evolution of grip throughout the weekend. The goal is therefore not to have a perfectly set-up car for the free practice, but to anticipate the conditions the drivers will face at the decisive moment of Q3.
“The right setup is the one that will work in qualifying, not the one that works during free practice. We know that the track evolution will be huge, including during the session itself.”
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Ferrari must thus try to predict several hours in advance the level of grip that will be available when the drivers make their final attempts. A particularly complex task on a new surface that continues to rub off quickly.
“The most important thing is to anticipate the level of grip in Q3 and be ready at that moment. It is useless to be the best during free practice if you are no longer in qualifying.”
A real headache for the engineers
The Madring also represents an unusual challenge in terms of setup. According to Vasseur, the circuit gathers practically all the categories of corners encountered during a season, forcing Ferrari to find a compromise capable of working in extremely different sections.
“It’s a challenge because we find practically all the types of corners of the season on the same circuit. So it’s a good exercise for the engineers.”
To this diversity is added the uncertainty regarding the track evolution between FP3 and qualifying. Ferrari will have to adapt energy management to the fastest sections while taking into account a grip level that could still change considerably.
“It is difficult to estimate how grip will evolve between FP3 and qualifying, and even during qualifying. This also complicates the deployment of energy in the fast section.”
Q3 as the real goal
Vasseur therefore believes that the success of the weekend will depend less on Ferrari’s position during practice than on its ability to precisely anticipate the conditions of Q3. On a circuit where no one has historical references, this reading of track evolution could make a considerable difference.
“I think the key will be to succeed in estimating the level of performance we will have in Q3.”
The first day remains promising for Hamilton. With a third place in FP2 and just over a tenth behind Antonelli, the Briton is close enough to the Mercedes to consider a fight at the front if Ferrari manages to improve the balance of the SF-26.
Hamilton therefore approaches the rest of the weekend with optimism, but Ferrari knows the hardest part is yet to come. Between the balance of the car, the spectacular evolution of grip, and energy management, the Scuderia will above all have to succeed in having the best possible SF-26 at the moment when it really counts: in Q3.
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