Fred -
https://x.com/FerrariF1FRA/status/2022380013945856303
Vasseur does not expose himself and prefers to stay in the shadows at this stage of the season, in order to allow the team to work in calm and concentration. The correlation between track and simulation has been described as “good”.
- “What is very positive is that nobody is talking about us. I like this situation. We can already focus on ourselves. Nobody knows anything yet. Nobody knows the power of Mercedes. Nobody knows if you have 20 kilos, 40 kilos or 60 kilos. And that is much more than the difference between the cars. That’s why the best thing is to stay quiet and focus on ourselves”.
- “The first objective when you have a new car like this one, completely different from last year’s, is to accumulate kilometres. Last year, we arrived with a reference from the previous car. We could make comparisons. This year, we start from zero”.
- “The most important thing in this situation is to accumulate kilometres, do a lot of laps, collect data. Check whether there is good correlation between the factory, the wind tunnel and what we see on track. For that, you need reliability. Because if you stay in the garage, it’s not the best way to collect data. So far, things have gone quite well for us. We have covered around 4,500 kilometres in 6 days. That’s good, more than expected, and it’s positive. But we must not confuse the fact that we are doing good work on this front with pure performance. That’s another story”.
- “We must not forget what we did in the past and focus only on energy management. Of course it is important, it is fundamental for lap time, but all the parameters of F1 and racing are still there and will have the same importance. It would be a mistake to forget that. Being one of the youngest in the team, I try to put this concept on the table and remind everyone that we must not forget the basics. It’s not because the regulation is new that the new parameters are the only ones that matter. Aerodynamics will be fundamental, tyres will be fundamental, driving will be fundamental, pit-stop strategies will be fundamental. We must keep that in mind”.
- “It’s not that we had a bad correlation last year, it’s simply that we didn’t develop the car. So far the correlation is good, but we still have a lot to understand. The best way to assimilate what we are gathering is to keep the car on track, cover as many kilometres as possible and work well between sessions. But so far, the correlation is good”.
https://x.com/LucianoYoma/status/2022374645358563376
Going into the season, the target was to make the most of the first test sessions by accumulating mileage and collecting as much data as possible. So far, everything has gone well from an operational point of view, with good reliability and plenty of laps completed, which is important both for our preparation and to analyse the data back in the factory.
We will use this information to continue improving the car and our understanding of all procedures. Performance is a separate matter: the priority at this stage is to build knowledge and put ourselves in the best possible position ahead of Melbourne, knowing that we still have time to make further steps forward.
Lewis -
https://x.com/LucianoYoma/status/2022373996566634698
It’s been a positive week overall. We completed a lot of laps and went through the full programme, which allowed us to gather plenty of useful data and learn more about the car.
The SF-26 has felt generally good, but this generation of car is quite complex and finding the right operating window, especially with the tyres, is key. We’ve made some good discoveries and also identified areas where we can improve.
We still have another test ahead of us, which will be important to build on what we’ve learned and continue making progress.
