Sainz & Leclerc predict new tire problems for Ferrari F1 at Silverstone

Free practice at Silverstone ended with the teams getting a better understanding of their machines. Max Verstappen led FP1 and McLaren made it into the top 10. Their midfield competitor, Ferrari, outperformed them; Leclerc was fourth, while Sainz was satisfied with the sixth fastest. After testing the tracks, however, both drivers share a common fear: Paul Ricard.

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The French circuit is similar to Silverstone. Carlos Sainz explained: “… just to put it simply for you, Silverstone and Paul Ricard is a front limited circuit, which means that you are degrading the front tires a lot and we expect we will suffer a little in the race if we degrade them Front tire. ”

Formula 1 F1 – Great Britain Grand Prix – Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, Great Britain – July 16, 2021 Ferraris Carlos Sainz Jr. in action during practice REUTERS / Peter Cziborra

His team-mate Charles gave his input: “This is a track on which we could have a similar problem”. [compared to Paul Ricard]So it will be very interesting for us to see how much progress we have made in these few weeks in analyzing this problem and see whether we can get rid of this problem or not. “Leclerc stood at Bottas’ last year due to tire wear. Mercedes on the third podium. It would be a fair assumption that he might be at the end of bad luck this time.

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Ferrari’s woe explained

Austria turned out to be a brilliant course for the red cars. Both races at the Red Bull Ring helped the team collect enough points to catch McLaren on the constructors’ board. Both drivers admitted that the reason for their cheers was the balance between the car and the track. In Austria, the car put more pressure on the rear tires, which reduces wear on the front.

Formula 1 F1 – Styria Grand Prix – Red Bull Ring, Styria, Austria – June 25, 2021 Ferraris Carlos Sainz Jr. and Ferraris Charles Leclerc in action during training REUTERS / Leonhard Foeger

Sainz says: “Austria, you remove the rear tires, limited at the rear, and that’s why we think we were relatively competitive in the race because we are actually better with the rear tires … if anything, it will make things more difficult.” Carlos Sainz is not a newcomer to Silverstone with tire problems after suffering a puncture last season.

Charles Leclerc knows it’s a good track for him, but will his car survive the 52 laps? The Frenchman finds consolation in his luck last season and says: “It was a strong track for me in the past… Hopefully with the luck we had last year we are as competitive as last year and will find ourselves back on the track Podium. ”

Silverstone tire drama

Silverstone is a circuit that is known for tire wear. On the track, we often hear drivers complaining about tire vibrations. Last season, Bottas was robbed of the podium on the left front because of his tire damage. Bottas wasn’t the only one. Sainz’s McLaren and especially Hamilton finished first on the last lap due to a puncture.

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Tire drama is nothing new on the track. The above incidents are all with the front left tire. It takes a lot of work around the circuit. There are many quick rights; As a result, the outer front takes on a lot of load.

Sainz concluded: “We know our limits, we know we have to fight on tracks like this, so we have to be at the top to be able to take off.” The Prancing Horses left the French Grand Prix with no points. With the new format and the additional pressure from McLaren, it would be advisable for the Italian team to “take off”.

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