Charles Leclerc is all set to start from the front row while Carlos Sainz will start from seventh for Sunday’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Since Ferrari sense an opportunity to claim some good points during the main race on Sunday, they have decided to sacrifice the sprint race.
During the Sprint Shootout, the Ferrari duo had fresh soft tires to run in Q3. If they had, the duo of Leclerc and Sainz could’ve finished better than their P7 and P9 grid slots, respectively. However, they chose to save the softs for the Grand Prix on Sunday. Leclerc was cautiously optimistic about the team’s decision.
It’s gonna be a busy Sprint Race for us! 😤#BrazilGP 🇧🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/l45aSQ8R5P
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) November 4, 2023
Racefans.net quoted the Monegasque as saying, “We are keeping the new tires for somewhere else in the weekend. So let’s see if it pays off, I hope so.” His teammate, Sainz echoed that sentiment.
“For the soft, we decided to save the new tires for the race, the newer sets, and just simply in Q3 we decided to sacrifice a bit the spring quali and the sprint [race] to hopefully have a better race on Sunday,” stated the Spaniard.
From a strategic standpoint, Ferrari could start the race on the saved softs, giving them the optimum start off the line. Leclerc would hope to jump Max Verstappen, and Sainz would like to make up lost ground from seventh on the grid.
However, the team could also use the tires later on during the race. An extended stint for either of the drivers would allow them to blitz the end with a soft tire charge with others around them on slower and older compounds.
Ferrari smells blood in Brazil
Since only three races remain in the 2023 season, it’s Ferrari’s best chance to close the gap to Mercedes in the Constructors’ Standings. Moreover, Interlagos seems like the best chance they have of registering their second win of the season. With Red Bull apparently not the fastest car on the grid this weekend, Leclerc can seize the opportunity from second on the grid.
It’s been an up-and-down year for Charles Leclerc, but the Ferrari driver has found some superb consistency in recent races which could be critical to the fight for P2 in the WCC 👀
Will Ferrari beat Mercedes to be best of the rest? 🤔#F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/gpNWNQAade
— Autosport (@autosport) September 25, 2023
Hence, in all probability, the Ferrari duo will look to maximize their start tomorrow on the soft tires. However, the threat of McLaren cannot be overlooked as they’ve seemed like the fastest car on the circuit for the most part of this weekend.
