Ferrari uncertain about maintaining the same impressive speed displayed last month in Imola when they compete at Spa-Francorchamps for the 6 Hours of Spa, according to Batti Pregliasco, manager of the Ferrari AF Corse team. When asked if Ferrari can replicate their performance in Imola, Pregliasco replied: “It’s hard to say.” He explained that Imola was well prepared and they discovered their strength on the kerbs and chicanes as soon as they arrived at the circuit. However, they are not sure if they can achieve the same results in Spa due to the challenging nature of the circuit.
In Imola, Ferrari was widely considered to have the strongest pace, with their cars qualifying in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places and leading for a significant part of the first four hours. However, their strategy failed when they failed to make a pit stop for rain tires as soon as the rain started and did not split their strategy between the three cars. As a result, they finished in fourth, seventh, and eighth places, which was not the result they expected in front of their passionate fans.
This disappointing performance, combined with their poor results in the season-opening race in Qatar, has put additional pressure on Ferrari. Pregliasco acknowledged that the team feels the weight of expectations for being Ferrari. They are eager to achieve the results they believe they deserve with their talented drivers and high-performance cars. The pressure to perform well in Spa is increasing, and the team is determined to prove their capabilities.
A good result in Spa is crucial for Ferrari’s championship aspirations. Currently, they are positioned in 5th, 6th, and 11th places in the driver’s championship and in third place in the constructor’s championship, behind their main rivals, Porsche, by a significant margin. Therefore, a successful result in Spa is necessary to accumulate valuable points and improve their position.
In the first free practice session, Ferrari secured the top two positions, with a 0.167-second advantage over Daniil Kvyat’s Lamborghini in third place. The team will continue their preparations with the third and final free practice session on Friday morning, followed by qualifying in the afternoon and the race on Sunday afternoon.
