F1 | Friday upside down: Ferrari smiles, Mercedes cries over flexible wings

With gritted teeth so as not to ever say it out loud, Ferrari was almost surprised by its speed on Friday in Baku. Starting quietly and as an underdog on paper on a circuit that is a motorway in the city, with a final stretch that is all an enormous straight and other fast sections interspersed with very unimaginative right-angle corners, the Red car surprised during free practice.

The SF21, now in its sixth round of the season, seems to be able to confirm all the qualities of a project that was born rather well: the single-seater is well balanced, has mechanical traction, has good aerodynamic efficiency, is drivable and uses the compounds well. The engine hasn't even stopped, although "cavalry" still remains Maranello's Achilles' heel compared to its direct rivals.

While waiting for the official results of the qualifications, however, we must note a moderate enthusiasm from Leclerc and Sainz. Both Cavallino standard-bearers said they were surprised by the cruising speed of their car between the walls of Baku, demonstrating a certain ease in finding the lap time, a symptom of a car that is not very problematic and easy to "set". Certainly the result of a (finally) precise correlation between the factory data and the track, between the virtual and the real, precise indications of a general growth in the team's level.

With Red Bull perfectly embodying the role of favorite, Mercedes' whining is also surprising, demonstrating that Brackley sees ghosts everywhere when he loses. Hamilton complains about a lack of grip, talks about problems, it comes from the Monte Carlo controversy with the team. Toto Wolff is on a war footing, he shouts from the rooftops that he wants to make a complaint against the flexible wings of Red Bull, he relies on an alleged irregularity to justify a superiority of Milton Keynes who probably caught Mercedes off guard and which causes a certain annoyance in those who are not used to losing.

And so those who have always said they want more competition and rivals to compete with for the good of the show throw away the mask of hypocrisy and cry. Red Bull flies, Ferrari smiles, Mercedes whines. What a strange Friday.

Antonino Rendina

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