Carlos Sainz Jr .: “It seems we could be a little more competitive this weekend.”

Carlos Sainz Jr. Granted, it was important for him to learn more about the SF21 on a route that wasn’t Bahrain International Circuit on Friday with the Spaniard a good number of laps around the Enzo and Dino Ferrari International Circuit.

Sainz’s previous run for Scuderia Ferrari in their 2021 car had all been in Bahrain Grand Prix of Emilia Romagna was different for the Spaniard. During the two sessions he drove fifty-six laps.

The previous one McLaren F1 Team The driver finished sixth, a little more than three tenths of a second less than the best overall time, in the first practice session on Friday and was an impressive fourth in the afternoon, just 0.283 seconds away Valtteri Bottas on the first place.

“It was an important day for me as I was looking forward to driving the car for the first time in a place other than Bahrain,” said Sainz. “The different corners, the asphalt, the temperatures, etc. certainly made it an interesting day.

“It seems we could be a little more competitive this weekend and in general the feeling with the car has been positive as the conditions suit us better. You can feel a little more grip and I am enjoying it out there, building confidence lap after lap and trying to find the limit the entire route.

“I’m not quite there yet, but today was a good start to the weekend and we still have RP3 to optimize everything before tomorrow’s qualifying.”

“We won’t find out the pecking order until tomorrow” – Charles Leclerc

Teammate Charles Leclerc I also felt like it was a tough day for Ferrari on Friday, although their day ended with a crash at Rivazza in the late afternoon.

Leclerc felt comfortable at the wheel of the SF21 almost as soon as he hit the track on Friday morning. The Monegasque finished fourth fastest time in the first session, despite losing time due to technical problems.

He apologized to his mechanics for the afternoon crash, with the front right suspension bearing the brunt of the impact, but he’d done enough before to finish fifth overall and give the team confidence for the remainder of the season give weekend.

“This was definitely a good day, despite the time lost in the first session and the incident at the end of the second,” said Leclerc. “The car is fast, the balance is good and I felt comfortable straight away. Of course, we won’t find out the pecking order until tomorrow because maybe someone hasn’t shown their full potential.

“I made a mistake this afternoon when I was pushing myself into full gear with my racing gear. I’m sorry for the guys, but it was only two minutes. I was happy with my fast lap: the time that was canceled because of a few centimeters would have been the fastest overall, and I think we have found a good balance in the long run as well.

“The track is really great and I can’t wait to get back in the car tomorrow to qualify when I think a good result is within reach.”

Charles Leclerc ended the day in the barriers but was confident Ferrari will be quick at Imola – Credit: Scuderia Ferrari Press Office