Ferrari isn’t sure whether they’ll have the same strong pace they had last month in Imola at Spa-Francorchamps for the 6 Hours of Spa, Ferrari AF Corse’s team manager Batti Pregliasco told MotorsportWeek.com
“It’s difficult to say,” said the Italian when asked if Ferrari can replicate the pace they had in Imola, at Spa.
“Imola was really well prepared. We saw once we were there, but we couldn’t see before, that we were very very good on the kerbs, on the chicane.
“We tested there and we were alone, or with BMW, but there was no reference at that moment because we were starting the season.
“So we were quite consistent on the kerbs in the chicane. So it gave us a little bit more advantage in Imola, more performance overall.
“Here we don’t know at the moment. It’s a tricky circuit, it’s difficult and very demanding. We hope that we can replicate but it won’t be easy.”
Ferrari were generally considered to have the strongest pace at Imola, qualifying 1-2-3 and leading for much of the first four hours before the weather struck. Ferrari got their strategy wrong, not pitting for wet tyres as the rain began to fall, and also not splitting the strategy between its three cars.
This led to them finishing fourth, seventh and eighth — not the result they were hoping for in front of their passionate tifosi fans.
With the opening race of the season also not going to plan for Ferrari, this leaves them with no podiums from two races. Subsequently, pressure is mounting, Pregliasco said.
“Of course, we feel more pressure because we are Ferrari. We’re here with two performance cars and we want to achieve the result that we think we deserve, with this kind of car and drivers.
“So we are disappointed of what we get in Qatar and what we get in Imola. The more we don’t achieve, the more we are under pressure.
“So of course we feel the pressure to make something good here in Spa, and I think the drivers are like a wild horse. Now they just want to jump in the car and, and prove their performance.
“And the engineers are trying, yesterday they were testing the pitstops and driver change. They’re all pushing for having the best result we can, and I really hope that it will arrive because it’s time the to get back in some points for the championship.”
A good finish here is crucial championship wise for the Prancing Horse. They currently sit 5th, 6th and 11th in the drivers’ championship, and are third in the manufacturers’ standings, behind their main rivals with almost half the points compared to leaders Porsche.
In free practice 1 Ferrari finished first and second, 0.167 seconds ahead of Daniil Kvyat’s Lamborghini in third. Free practice begins at 5:30pm local time, with the third and final free practice session at 11am on Friday, qualifying at 2:45pm, and the race at 1pm local time on Sunday.
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