Ferrari was relieved after Friday's training for the home race in Monza. The Scuderia not only brought track-specific updates to the front and rear wings, but also a larger package, the centerpiece of which is a completely redesigned underbody. “That was a good start: everything we did to the car seems to be working as expected,” said a delighted Charles Leclerc.
That actually sounded very different on Friday after the failed Barcelona update. And the performance also proves Leclerc right: In the second free practice session, the representative afternoon session, both Ferrari drivers were within striking distance of the fastest driver in practice, Lewis Hamilton. Carlos Sainz was only a tenth behind in third place, and Charles Leclerc was one and a half tenths behind the leader in fifth place. Both drivers led both training sessions with the new package,
The Ferrari drivers were not entirely satisfied with their Formula 1 cars. “The performance was good, but we still need to work on the balance,” Leclerc revealed. Sainz could have set the fastest time in the first free practice session, but had to abort his lap after a hairy moment in the Parabolica.
“The new asphalt means that the car is more on the edge,” believes Sainz. “It's still the same layout, but the track is completely different with the new asphalt, where the grip breaks down very quickly.”
Ferrari strong on medium tyres in Monza
The asphalt may also be responsible for Ferrari's difficulty on the soft C5 tyres. “We were very fast on the medium, the pace on the soft was nothing special,” said Sainz. In contrast to the competition, Ferrari was not able to gain as much time on the soft tyres. This is a big problem on one lap, and the soft tyres are unlikely to be used in the race.
Sainz, who is contesting his last Ferrari home race in Monza, does not dare to make any predictions: “It is very difficult to read today. I do not know who is in front. McLaren and Mercedes look good and we are showing flashes of performance now and then.” Teammate Leclerc is a little more optimistic: “We are closer than in Zandvoort. We are more in the fight than there. That is good for Saturday.” However, that was expected even without an update; the high-speed track characteristics of Monza should suit the Red Goddess anyway.
Ferrari was in racing form in the Netherlands, but they had no chance against Lando Norris. In Monza, a lot will depend on how the teams get the graining under control. “The new asphalt means that tire management is much more important, and that's what we need to focus on,” says Leclerc. This is generally good news for the Scuderia: the SF-24 is very gentle on the sensitive Pirelli tires.
Graining through the asphalt could also help Ferrari at the Italian GP. Whenever all teams have had to contend with more severe graining, the Scuderia has proven to be quite competitive in the recent past. This was particularly evident in Melbourne 2024 and Las Vegas 2023.
