F1 | Ferrari did their homework well, but we have to wait for the report card

From Bahrain to Bahrain, but everything will be completely different. Because these collective tests were like homework, but we go to school next week, and it doesn't matter that the "building" is the same. This is because you couldn't make a bigger mistake than exchanging the pre-season collective tests into a sort of maxi free practice for the GP. This is not the point of the tests, and this was not the work.

Therefore, before making judgements, drawing conclusions, standing there looking at the colors of the sectors and the lap times, the pace, the tires and the gaps, it is appropriate to take a substantial step back. Thinking of comparing in the dark teams that have carried out different jobs, each on their own, is the most incorrect assumption possible to "read" the Bahrain tests. As well as pretending to be amazed at the ease with which Red Bull worked and the impeccable behavior of the car. Red Bull is very strong, the favourites, it is no coincidence that they won seventeen GPs out of twenty-two last season.

Ferrari, however, is still to be discovered, and it is really impossible to say where it is exactly. If or how much behind rivals. The only certain news is that the Rossa worked well, both in the factory and on the track. The team, having put the wheels on the track, had results in line with those of the simulator and with the virtual data, first positive sign. Everything else was assiduous and incessant work of chiseling and comparing different setups to find the best possible balance, which allows the SF23 to make the most of the tires, without suffering from the degradation problems of 2022.

It is no coincidence that the statements of the protagonists all converge in the same direction: Ferrari tried many solutions in these three days of testing, to have as clear a picture of the situation as possible in view of the moment in which it will be necessary to bring out the performance.

All the work was aimed at finding the balance between speed on the straight (improved, the car suffers less drag) e cornering grip, is a question of aerodynamic efficiency, which is the secret of competitiveness in Formula 1. For this reason, fast laps, or a car that sometimes seemed to understeer, as well as long runs on medium tires which have aroused concern among the usual social media alarmists, leave the time they find.

The teams - Ferrari first and foremost - "played" with the mapping of the power units, with the fuel loads and with the set ups, loading and unloading the wings and running with more or less fuel. A car with a lot of fuel and a loaded rear will tend to have understeer, but this can also be useful in understanding the behavior of the tyres. Three days of testing are few and the time had to be maximized.

This is why Ferrari can be satisfied with what was shown. The only way to worry a strong opponent like Red Bull is to find the best possible conditions to extract all the potential from a single-seater which - and this is confirmed - is anything but slow.

The sensations of both pilots, Leclerc e Sainz, were overall positive, with the Cavallino running a lot, without any problems, and collecting important data, also in view of the weekly work that will take place in Maranello before the GP. And it's not necessarily bad news to hear that Leclerc isn't completely satisfied with the balance; It doesn't mean that the Red isn't fast or can't do well, but that it can and must improve.

Just as it is positive that Sainz felt much better at his debut with the SF23 compared to the initial idiosyncrasy with the F1-75. It promises to be a long World Cup, with two teams that seem to have an advantage over the rest of the group. And it is a world championship in which it will count to grow and improve the car, in this sense the calm shown by Frederic Vasseur must be interpreted.

La Rossa focused on herself and her work program, aware of their strengths and the areas where something pays off. The World Cup starts in a week, but will end on November 26th. The car is fast, trust me.

Antonino Rendina