Ferrari posing a threat in qualifying may be down to Red Bull sandbagging, suggests Charles Leclerc’s driver coach

It’s becoming increasingly clear with each passing race that Red Bull are on for another dominant year in 2023. This time, they’ve even started 2023 in a much better position than they did in 2022. The RB18 was generally on par with the Ferrari F1-75 in the early stages of last season. However, after the summer break, it emerged as the dominant car with incredible race pace. On the other hand, the F1-75 was still quick in qualifying but had dismal race pace – due to heavy tire degradation.

Red Bull’s advantage on race pace is even clearer this year. Charles Leclerc took both pole positions in Baku, but could not keep them. In the sprint, it was better for him, but during the race, he finished around 19 seconds behind Verstappen. The Ferrari SF-23 looks okay in qualifying, but during the race, it becomes obvious that it can’t compete with the RB19.

However, there’s more to it. Jock Clear, Leclerc’s drive coach, feels RB have been making their setups more race-oriented, so trading off the one-lap pace so they can be quicker in the race. As per Autosport, he said: “We have a good understanding of where the issues lie. It’s quantifying it. So, in some ways, we would say, ‘OK, we’re looking at what’s going on in the race compared to what’s going on qualifying’. We can see some differences.”

He continued: “Maybe what we can’t quite align is how those differences turn out. That’s the process that we’re going through at the moment, [it] is to identify what we can do, or what we can shift around in terms of our focus, to maybe bring that race pace back into line.” The natural conclusion, of course, is that Ferrari must also sacrifice their qualifying pace to an extent. But because they don’t have a dominant or championship-contending car, it can be risky.

Read More: Fred Vasseur rules out copying Red Bull as Ferrari will ‘stick to its plan’ for their car

Ferrari having to take ‘qualifying hit’ will be a ‘tough pillow to swallow’

So, it’s a difficult decision for Ferrari. Weighing this up, Jock Clear said: “Do we have to take a hit in qualifying? That’s always a very difficult pill to swallow because races are very often made in qualifying. So, we can’t afford to take our eye off the qualifying ball. But certainly, we need to fully understand how we can get the race pace. We have to take our hat off to the Red Bull and say they are doing something very, very clever.“

So, he felt that Red Bull sacrificing their qualifying pace is one reason for Ferrari (particularly Charles Leclerc) better matching up with them there. “That car works very, very well in race pace. We might also conclude that to do so, maybe they are giving up some qualifying pace. That’s why we can compete with them because they’re not optimal in qualifying.” When quizzed on another area where Ferrari can learn from Red Bull, Clear pointed out the RB19’s straight-line speed.

The risks to Ferrari sacrificing their qualifying pace are rather obvious. They do not have a margin behind, nor is the car blisteringly fast. Moreover, their rivals, Aston Martin and Mercedes are both pretty close to them. So, if they sacrifice their one-lap pace, there’s no guarantee that they will have a clear advantage over their current rivals. There’s also the risk of getting bogged up in traffic. But they may just take this risk if the overall performance of the car improves.

In case you missed it:

• “There is a clear dominant team,” Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz accepts Red Bull supremacy but pledges to improve in the upcoming F1 races
• “This is not an Arab bazaar,” Helmut Marko blasts Ferrari for trying to poach Red Bull engineers

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