Ferrari drivers encouraged by race pace in Las Vegas but have ‘homework to do’ for qualifying

Ferrari pair Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc expressed optimism over the race pace of the SF-24 during practice in Las Vegas, but believe work is needed to extract more one lap performance.

While Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton led the way during both practice sessions on Thursday night, Sainz wound up in fourth place at the end of FP2, with team mate Leclerc backing him up in fifth.

FP2: Hamilton keeps Mercedes on top in second Las Vegas GP practice

Ferrari claimed the inaugural pole position around the streets of Las Vegas in 2023, courtesy of Leclerc, but both drivers cautioned that, while the long run speed of the car is good, more work is needed if last year’s pole is to be replicated.

“I think we’re in the mix,” Sainz said. “I think Mercedes has been very strong all day, Lando [Norris] and McLaren also.

“Maybe we are not performing as strong as everyone was thinking we were going to perform so we have some homework tonight to maybe try and find some lap time, especially coming from qualifying.

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“The race [pace] we seemed to be okay once everything gets up to temperature but over one lap we still have some work to do.”

Leclerc agreed that Mercedes “looks very, very strong” and that Ferrari have to find the right balance between their long-run pace and one-lap potential.

“We’ve got to try and find something to try and turn the situation around, but we’re not so far [away],” Leclerc said.

“All in all I think we are very strong in race pace, a bit less in quali. It’s been a bit the story of our season but it’s better that way than the opposite.

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“I think we have some ideas of what to do to try and improve that, but then it’s a compromise of how good you want to be in the race compared to qualifying and we need to find the right compromise.”