The Austrian Grand Prix proved productive for Ferrari – Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc took a total of 32 points in the sprint and race. The team is satisfied with the progress made, but admits that they cannot yet impose the battle on Red Bull Racing.
Frederic Vasseur, team principal: “The last two races have clearly shown that we have made progress with the SF-23, and with better tire handling and a more consistent pace on the track, our drivers have been able to attack in the races. However, we are not yet able to compete with the current leaders, so we will continue to work hard.
Ferrari has strong ties to Silverstone, one of the historic circuits on the Formula 1 calendar. High-speed corners are a serious test of the car’s capabilities and we look forward to the chance to appreciate the shape of the SF-23. In the days of unlimited testing, the British teams had a big advantage on this circuit, but that is no longer the case.
Carlos Sainz took his first Formula 1 win at Silverstone last year. Charles Leclerc came close to success here several times and called the circuit one of his favorite stationary circuits. Both riders and the whole team will do everything they can to put a fight on the opponents, who will of course strive to do well at home.”
Marco Froyo, Tire Engineer: “On the Silverstone circuit, tires are subject to the heaviest stress of the season. Two factors contribute to this: high average speeds and many fast corners. The first factor creates high vertical loads that affect the strength of the tire structure, while the second leads to extremely high lateral loads, especially at the front left.
As a result, tires are subject to severe wear and overheating because the rubber’s operating temperature is not in the optimum range.
Pirelli decided to change the design of the current tires because we saw higher loads in the first half of the season than predicted based on simulations done at the end of last year. In addition, constant updates of the cars have led to a significant increase in downforce and the loads acting on the tyres.
All these factors led Pirelli to strengthen the design of the tires to increase their resistance to stress, but without resorting to a significant increase in the minimum prescribed pressure. The decision to introduce the new design at Silverstone was made precisely because of the stresses the tires are subjected to on this circuit.”
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
