Ferrari 'learning' while rivals 'hide' at Barcelona

Ferrari

Ferrari 'learning' while rivals 'hide' at Barcelona

Ferrari completed more laps than any other team on the first day of testing

Sam Hall

Wednesday 23 February 2022 21:00

Carlos Sainz is eager to get to "the interesting part" and push the limits of the Ferrari F1-75 after a promising first day of testing.

Ferrari completed 152 laps on Wednesday to top the lap charts with the combined total of Sainz and team-mate Charles Leclerc narrowly bettering Max Verstappen's solo effort of 147.

Unlike the Red Bull driver, who ended the day ninth, Ferrari matched its durability with pace as Leclerc finished second quickest to McLaren's Lando Norris and Sainz third.

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"Today was the first time I was in the car with a proper run plan, unlike the previous times when we basically did shakedowns," said Sainz.

"We could finally push a bit and start learning from these cars. The timesheet is unimportant at this early stage, but it was very positive to put in a good number of laps and get a real feel at the wheel.

"We still have a lot of work to do but today we could already start feeling some differences from last year, although in terms of getting used to it I don’t feel it’s going to take too long.

"For sure the last tenths will be tricky to find, but that is the interesting part."

Leclerc urges caution despite positive start

Despite the advanced position Ferrari enjoyed in in the first day of running, Leclerc urged caution and warned it is "impossible" to begin to establish a pecking order after such little time on track.

"We completed all the tests we wanted to and ran through our full programme smoothly, which is good for a new car. I’m looking forward to being back on track again tomorrow," said Leclerc.

"The initial feeling is not bad, but we shouldn’t get carried away by the timesheets today, as these are early days and everyone is still hiding their true form.

"It’s impossible to have a clear picture just yet, so we have to stay focused and keep working hard.

"We put in a lot of laps, more than any other team today, and that’s a positive we will build on."