The first week of pre-season testing is now history and the drivers have a better idea of what awaits them this season. Carlos Sainz has offered his impressions in this regard.
Carlos Sainz He has enjoyed a very positive week together with the rest of the Ferrari team and, although it is still early to know the real potential of the new F1-75, there is optimism in Maranello.
In the case of ferrarithe satisfaction is double in the sense that both the new car and the totally renewed power unit have shown impeccable reliability, allowing the Italian squad to cover more kilometers than any other team on the grid.
This will allow Carlos Sainz and Ferrari to work intensively on the evaluation of the data collected in Barcelona and as a preliminary step to the second and definitive pre-season test phase in Bahrain, between March 10 and 12.
The F1-75 and the new regulations
To begin with, Carlos Sainz has offered his impressions of what he experienced in Barcelona, although as usual, he did not want to anticipate anything about the real performance of the car.
«We know the work that has been done in a year and a half, there have been things that I liked and things that I didn’t», points out the Madrid pilot. “It is what we come to the tests for, to discover things about our car and not stop to think about what others are doing.”
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“Why do you think we are so fit? It is very early and I can imagine why you are beginning to draw conclusions, perhaps by trying to mark the new hierarchical order a little, “says Sainz.
“But we really don’t have a clue, I think nobody knows what fuel loads or what engine modes the rest are using. We cannot confirm or deny if we are up or not, because the truth is that we do not know where we are. I think in Bahrain, maybe it will start to be a bit easier to guess where each team is compared to the others », he declares.
In any case, Sainz is surprised by the diversity in the designs of this year’s single-seaters, despite the fact that it was said that the new regulations would be more restrictive than the previous ones.
“Everyone has surprised me, how different we are from each other when engineers talk about such restricted regulation. It makes you think and reminds you that F1 is beautiful, I like to see those differences and the imagination of each group of engineersalthough later we all reach a similar level ».
Much has been speculated about the possibility that a team will find a revolutionary solution that places it well above the rest, but Sainz is not sure that this will happen. “I do not know. The Brawn thing was so obvious that he couldn’t hide. I hope not”.
The most powerful engine
Another of the great novelties of Ferrari is the new engine, which has been completely renewed to once again be a reference on the grid, something that has been far from happening for the last two seasons.
“We don’t push everything we’ll push, so it’s hard to feel the differences with a new car”points out Carlos Sainz in relation to an engine that, in any case, has been conceived to lead in Formula 1.
“If the engines are going to freeze, you have to look for the performance limit and then you have five years to improve reliability. We want the most powerful engine, or one of the most powerful”it states.
Said homologation will be carried out in Two phases: the first on March 1 for the combustion engine (ICE), the turbocharger, the MGU-H, the exhaust system, the fuel and the motor oil, while the MGU-K, the batteries and the electronics of control will be frozen on September 1.
From that moment, any modification can only be made with the authorization of the FIA and after demonstrating that it only represents an improvement in reliability or a reduction in costs.
The pouring
Finally, Carlos Sainz has also talked about the rebound effect or pouring, which has affected all the teams on the grid. The teams, including Ferrari, have devised solutions to avoid this, but it will not be until Bahrain that their effectiveness will be properly evaluated.
«It is one of the highest priorities since we went out on the track and we feel it. You have to work on it and the first one who manages to correct it will be able to lower the heights a little more, “says Carlos Sainz.
«For the pilot it is not comfortable or pleasant at 320 kilometers per hour. It is a bit surprising that this is happening, but it is also the beauty of Formula 1. The teams seem to have everything under control and, when a new regulation arrives, it puts us in our place », he concludes.
Photos: Scuderia Ferrari