The fourth place with which the Spaniard ended the first day of training gives hope for a good result
Fernando Alonso left the Baku circuit smiling this Friday. It was not for the record he will break on Sunday, that of the longest Formula 1 race in history at 7,700 days (21 years, three months and eight days), surpassing Michael Schumacher, but for his name in fourth place. to see. place on the schedule. The Spanish driver finished only behind Charles Leclerc, Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen, three drivers who were very close to victory on Sunday and will have all the ballots to achieve it.
However, the streets of Azerbaijan’s capital and its imposing 13th-century fortress promise strong emotions. The new 2022 cars have a major problem in this type of urban layout: the terrifying ‘porpoise’, pitching or rebounding that these single-seaters experience due to the increased ground effect. The track’s long straights, a distinctly bumpy tarmac (it’s an urban circuit) and the need for lower suspension make any high-speed braking a driver’s nightmare. Finishing without noticeable dizziness will be news.
This was one of the factors the pilots worked on the most. Finding the balance between performance and comfort to alleviate this discomfort is not easy, and for Carlos Sainz it was even a serious problem. “Free practice 1 was uncomfortable with the rebound, but we went in the right direction for free practice 2 and we improved the thrills and competitiveness. We didn’t put in a good time with soft because of the flags (yellow, because of problems with other riders), but it has been a session without any problems,” the Madrid man succinctly analyzed, finishing two steps behind his rivals. The final fifth place finish of a Sainz who should be a favorite on paper is very little known.
Maybe you should look at what other drivers did, like Fernando Alonso. The Asturian pilot started the day wishing for a race “with action” for Sunday, but there’s little point if he’s not in the lead area to scratch a point. No matter how many figures and filigrees you do, if you don’t get on the dance floor, it’s of little use. For example, he took advantage of the fact that the Alpine is not the car that has to endure the most ‘porpoises’ trying to find a prize in the slipstreams. And he succeeded: fourth fastest time and remarkable hope to finish at the top of the standings at the moment of truth, both on Saturday and especially on Sunday.
To a large extent, and although not as important here as in Monaco, a good Saturday will be crucial to get a decent result. “We still need to optimize a few things in the car’s set-up before we qualify,” said Alonso, who admitted they seem “fast” and should continue in that vein. “We will be working through the night to make sure we keep up this kind of pace this Saturday. We look fast on the straights and sometimes it’s challenging to set up the car on this type of track, but let’s see how it goes.” And it is that Azerbaijan is an example of a track that uses the short blanket theory required: either they choose to go well on the straights of sectors 1 and 3, the fastest zone, or they choose to bet everything on the twisty sector 2, the one with the medieval area.
In any case, it seems that Alpine has found enough balance that other teams do not have. For example, Mercedes, which has taken two steps back in Baku. As has been the case on other tracks, the W13s of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton are two of the cars most affected by the rebound from ‘porpoises’, and this Friday it became very clear. “We need fundamental improvements,” they emphasized to the team, especially considering Hamilton was more than a second and a half away from the head of the table.
In that head is Charles Leclerc, who, although dominated, but does not have them all with him. It still hurts him to be let off the stage in Monaco, and he wants to prove himself in Azerbaijan to show everyone, and him the first, that he hasn’t left the dance floor yet and that he is ready to kick a Max out. to challenge as many duels as necessary, Verstappen who begins to look suspiciously at every step his teammate Sergio Pérez takes. The Mexican, who silenced the cheetah, left him behind.
Source: La Verdad
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