Max Verstappen emerged as the fastest driver during the early practice session on Friday. Unfortunately, due to rain, teams were unable to complete any useful laps in FP2.
Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen showcased their remarkable skills on the circuit. Sainz, who recently underwent an appendectomy, triumphed in his first race of the season. The 29-year-old driver is eager to continue his successful streak in the next event. However, Sainz admitted that Verstappen may have the advantage in securing the race win.
In FP1, Verstappen secured the top spot, with the following positions being taken by other drivers. Sainz mentioned that Ferrari showed a performance closer to Verstappen and Red Bull during the early practice session than expected. This was a positive development compared to the team’s performance in the previous year’s race in Suzuka. However, Sainz acknowledged that FP1 provided limited information on the fuel loads and engine modes of the Austrian team.
Sainz recalled that Ferrari was significantly slower than Verstappen’s pole lap last year, with an eight-tenths difference. Therefore, the mere two-tenths difference in FP1 was a substantial improvement. However, Sainz believes that beating Verstappen to win this weekend will be a challenging task for the Maranello team.
Throughout the early stages of the 2024 season, Sainz has maintained a high level of confidence. He expressed satisfaction with his performance on Friday in Suzuka, emphasizing that Ferrari had a successful winter testing. This allowed the team to understand the SF24 and find a suitable setup for their challenging 2024 contender, which seemed superior to its predecessor. These factors have positively influenced Sainz and the team.
A pesar de la ventaja de ritmo de Red Bull y Verstappen, Scuderia Ferrari todavía puede tener una oportunidad de disputar la victoria este fin de semana. Las condiciones climáticas impredecibles pueden potencialmente alterar el orden de clasificación, creando una oportunidad para Sainz u otros pilotos para asegurar un triunfo. Sin embargo, una evaluación real del ritmo de Red Bull y Ferrari solo será posible después de la sesión de clasificación.
