German FAZ: “This is frustrating for everyone” 009416

His gaze so empty, the hanging lower lids slightly swollen, dark shadows around the half open eyes, Charles Leclerc sits on a red chair. In the paddock of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the Monegasse looks as if it urgently had to fall asleep again instead of in front of reporters, it is that it is that in Formula 1, which rushes from appointment on this Sunday (3:00 p.m. in F.A.-LiveTicker for Formula 1, at RTL and Sky), the third Grand Prix Binnen Weeks is coming up? No breathing space, history is made, it is progressing – that is the motto of the series makers who squeeze 24 autores on five grades in 38 weeks of the year. Or it is rather the one who has often been able to drive the Monegassen Leclerc in the past few weeks? “We have not been able to screw expectations back so far,” says Leclerc about the past eight Grand Prix. Scuderia and, before the second third of the season begins, speaks a real word calmly. So far, Ferrari has only placed the third strength behind Red Bull-more precisely: behind Max Verstappen-and Mercedes. Leclerc and Hamilton occupy the ranks five and sixth in the championship. It is “very important,” said Leclerc at Rennplatz northeast of Barcelona, ​​”that we screw our expectations back, because unfortunately we have to count on a more normal route with the fact that it will be a little more difficult and not as positive as in Monaco.” Well bravo. There is little progress at the racing team with the rearing hood on the cooler hood: Cavallino stagnant instead of cavallino rampant. Because Ferrari does not get going, for now, you can only hope that others, especially McLaren, will suffer from now on. It goes after the Scuderia, ideally this weekend. Because of the change of control, because of which it will be somewhat stiffer in Formula 1 and says from the Ferrari racing director Frédéric Vasseur that it could prove to be a turning point. Like the? The front wings of the Formula 1 cars, with the vehicle nose firmly connected to the vehicle nose, must be less flexible from now on. With a symmetrical load of 100 kilograms on both sides, a maximum of ten millimeters of vertical bend are allowed instead of 15. If only one side is contaminated asymmetrically, 15 millimeters are tolerated instead of 20 before. The two to five adjustable wing elements, the so -called flaps, which change the flow angle and thus the aerodynamic downforce, can bend under the load of six kilos by a maximum of three instead of five millimeters. Under the pressure of the windwind, the main wings and flaps turn backwards and thus create aerodynamic advantages. The air resistance is reduced on full gas passages. In “fast” curves, the downforce generated on the front axle is reduced to better balancing the vehicle and avoiding it. At low speeds, on the other hand, wings and flaps remain rigid enough, create full downforce in tight curves – the best of both worlds. So far, a second place has been the highest of feelings for Charles Leclerc and Ferrari.reutersweil aerodynamic components according to the rules of the World Automobile Association FIA (Article 3.15 of the FIA ​​Technical Regulations) must be “stiff” and, with the exception of the DRS system installed on the tail wing, “no movable aerodynamic parts” were allowed, which were the flexible Return of the soil effect cars since the 2022 season more fashioned, controversially discussed. Especially last year. One of the chief critics? Ferrari racing director Vasseur. “There are many details that make the McLaren so quickly” in anticipation of a ban or at least a drastic restriction by the FIA ​​Ferrari foregoing the flexible wings, while the competition, especially McLaren, made use of the front and the rear area, such as camera images. According to Vasseur, a “clear” advantage in the close struggle for the title. And the ban? Didn’t come. McLaren only had to change the rear wing at short notice, the World Cup finally won with a 14 -point lead over Ferrari. Seep in general, there are generally stricter regulations for the rear area of ​​the cars, for the front wings the FIA ​​granted all teams a longer grace period until this weekend. The front section is considered more complex and decisive, after all, the cars are first recorded by the air flow. Small changes can bring the entire racing car out of balance – or perfect. Activate external content that the balance of power of Formula 1 is fundamentally changing from now on, actually reaching you a turning point, like Vasseur whether the red misery and, the whisper, is also in concern for his post, not everyone is convinced of this at Ferrari: “Has not fun” The experimental trips on Friday did not indicate that Ferrari Boden was good. Lewis Hamilton, who is committed to a lot of trara, again Zeterte on the radio. “The car is wrong, buddy,” said Hamilton in the direction of its engineer Riccardo Adami. The Englishman Hamilton made the eleventh -fastest round of the day. “It’s no fun,” he said afterwards. “It is a beautiful place, the weather is fantastic, but no, that was not a good day.” Hamilton said, “that the car would be good today”. In the first training session it was not so bad, but much worse than expected in the second: “This is frustrating for everyone. We had some problems that we lost a little bit.” While the McLaren pilots set best times-Lando Norris in the first, Oscar Piatri in second training session-Leclerc, who made a small mistake on his best round, was fifth. “In principle,” said Red Bull Motor Sports Advisor Helmut Marko in an initial intermediate conclusion, “everything remained the same.”
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