Ferrari missed out on an excellent alternative to safe one other race win, with Charles Leclerc unable to cross the end line first within the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as a result of small however vital elements. Within the opening section of the Baku race, Charles Leclerc had a transparent benefit because of the superior grip of the Medium tires in comparison with Oscar Piastri. Nevertheless, within the second stint on Exhausting tires, the dynamics shifted because the Australian displayed higher traction. From that time, the race turned extra about cornering, with Charles Leclerc additionally shedding floor in braking. The Australian constantly gained a couple of tenth of a second in acceleration and four-tenths total between the primary and second sectors.
Even if Charles Leclerc stayed shut utilizing the drag discount system on the primary straight till the ultimate laps, the rear tires on his Ferrari started to deteriorate as a result of overheating. In the meantime, Carlos Sainz’s race was successfully ruined after a serious collision with the Pink Bull RB20 of Sergio Perez. Carlos Sainz had been making a powerful restoration within the second stint and was on the right track for a podium end, however the incident with the Mexican driver ended his effort and dashed Ferrari’s hopes of gaining essential factors within the Constructors’ Championship.
Within the first stint, Charles Leclerc constructed a lead of 6 seconds, averaging round two and a half tenths per lap. The hole widened after the eighth lap as Oscar Piastri, pushing laborious to maintain up, started to overheat his rear tires. Telemetry revealed that Charles Leclerc constructed his lead largely within the first two sectors of the Azerbaijan circuit on the Medium tires.
Oscar Piastri used DRS and slipstream to achieve the top of the straight with an 8 kilometers per hour pace benefit. Nevertheless, within the corners, Charles Leclerc was stronger, particularly in braking, the place the clear air forward allowed him to constantly brake later. This edge disappeared within the second half of the race. The general tempo of the opposite drivers mirrored the final standings of the race, with Sergio Perez, having pitted 4 laps sooner than Carlos Sainz, managing the primary stint on Mediums in a manner that mirrored the Ferrari driver.
The Mexican driver additionally constructed his benefit over Carlos Sainz within the tighter, slower a part of the second sector, the place the Spaniard misplaced round three-tenths per lap. Max Verstappen, alternatively, handed George Russell firstly and maintained a greater tempo than the British driver, lapping three-tenths quicker however shedding over a second per lap to Charles Leclerc. The Dutchman’s essential subject stemmed from entrance tire graining.
As for Lando Norris, it was evident that his automobile had superior straight-line pace, posting high speeds on the lengthy stretches of the observe. Alex Albon and Lando Norris each accomplished nearly 40 laps on the Exhausting tires, a choice that allowed them to complete within the higher positions. Lando Norris’s MCL38, particularly, maintained a quicker total tempo than Max Verstappen’s, utilizing the lighter automobile to climb from fifteenth to fifth place.
Throughout his 11-lap run on Medium tires, Lando Norris maintained a tempo about two seconds quicker than his rivals. The younger Brit maximized his stint, pushing the tires to their restrict with qualifying-like lap instances. He was the one driver to expertise optimistic tire degradation. As soon as on Exhausting tires, the efficiency hole between Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc leveled out. Their total tempo was comparable, however within the last three laps (5 in the event you embrace the digital security automobile), the Monegasque driver suffered a drop in tire efficiency that finally sealed his destiny and compelled him to accept second place within the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Telemetry knowledge reveals extra concerning the state of affairs. Charles Leclerc’s out-lap after the pit cease was three seconds slower than Oscar Piastri’s, successfully slicing his first stint lead in half. This was a deliberate “gradual introduction” technique with the intention to keep away from overloading the tires, however it allowed Oscar Piastri to shut in and mount an assault. Within the first two sectors, Charles Leclerc struggled with traction, whereas Oscar Piastri’s McLaren was flawless on this facet.
Moreover, soiled air decreased Charles Leclerc’s effectiveness in braking, significantly in Turns 1 and three. The slower corners of the center sector had much less of a damaging impression on Ferrari’s Quantity 16, the place the hole wasn’t as vital. Nevertheless, on the primary straight, Ferrari’s efficiency was hindered by one other subject. The higher flap of Piastri’s rear wing confirmed extreme flexing, permitting him to achieve a small DRS-like benefit with a minor hole between the 2 essential profiles, a tactic that may be thought of proper on the sting of the laws.
In abstract, soiled air took away one in every of Charles Leclerc’s key strengths: his braking capability. Mixed together with his traction points and the extended laps behind Oscar Piastri, tire temperature administration turned a serious problem. The Monegasque driver needed to repeatedly deal with an unbalanced automobile as a result of overheating tires. Including to this was the time misplaced throughout his cautious out-lap after pitting, and these cumulative elements finally price Ferrari the victory on the 6.003-kilometre Baku Metropolis Circuit, within the seventeenth spherical of the 2024 Method 1 championship.
Sep 16, 2024
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