Mekies: Sprint weekend must be prepared in advance

Before the start of the weekend in São Paulo, journalists from the Ferrari press office spoke with the team’s race director, Laurent Mekiz…

Q: How did your passion for motorsport start? How did you end up at Ferrari and what is most memorable during this time?
Laurent Mekis: It all started, like most children around the world. From an early age I loved cars, and then I was able to turn this hobby into my profession.

Luckily after college I was able to start my career in the junior series, then moved up and eventually got into Formula 1. After a long time with Toro Rosso and in the FIA, I was lucky enough to run into Mattia Binotto when he was looking to join the team – so I got the chance to join Ferrari.

Best memory? Of course, the victory for the tifosi at Monza in 2019 is difficult to compare with this.

Question Tell us about Interlagos. What do you need to go fast on this job?
Laurent Mekis: This is one of the most famous historical circuits, with an excellent combination of medium curves and a long straight ramp at the end of the circle. In Interlagos it is difficult to find the optimal settings, the level of downforce and so on. In the past we often had to compete there in heavy rain – the races were unpredictable.

Q: This week we are waiting for the third and final weekend of this year with a sprint on Saturday. What is especially important for the team and the riders in this format?
Laurent Mekis: On such a weekend, after an hour of training, you immediately qualify – and from that moment on you can no longer change the settings of the car. You have to prepare in advance for the sprint weekend – at the base, on the simulator.

It is not easy for the riders – after a short adjustment period they have to attack as much as possible in qualifying. What happens next is like a 400km race punctuated by a red flag after a 100km sprint.