As spectacular and complex as it is, the drivers agree in defining the new Madring as a circuit difficult for overtaking. Unlike Monza, qualifying will regain great importance in the weekend’s economy, but making the right decisions with the setup seems a task for fortune tellers. As always happens with newly laid asphalt, the track evolution will be central and succeeding in anticipating the expected conditions in qualifying will be even more rewarding than usual.
The importance of anticipating the track
Teams and drivers prepare for the Spanish Grand Prix qualifying with one eye on the data collected in practice and another on the conditions expected for the decisive moment in Q3. Guessing the expected grip level in qualifying is a challenge that repeats every weekend, but in Madrid it becomes even more delicate. The new asphalt, in fact, will undergo rapid evolution, so much so that several corners could be taken flat out. Anticipating track conditions will be important not only in terms of balance and setup choices but also in energy management.
If indeed some sections could transform and be driven with the accelerator fully pressed, then the battery management during the lap would change. In fact, every time the driver lifts off and then goes back on the throttle, the regulations require the electric motor to work at full power for a short interval, consuming energy. However, if in qualifying conditions allowed some sections to be driven flat out where previously the driver had to lift off, the energy strategy would be completely disrupted.
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All this intertwines with tire management. At Madring, in fact, teams are considering whether to cut electric power in some of the corners taken flat out, thus subjecting the tires to less stress and extending their life. So anticipating what the grip level will be at the moment of the fight for pole will be crucial not only for balance but also for energy management and tire exploitation.
Vasseur looks to qualifying
Aware of all this, Vasseur urged not to evaluate setup choices based on free practice feedback: “An effective setup is the one that will work in qualifying, not in practice. We know there will be huge track evolution, even during the same session. The most important thing will be to anticipate the grip level in Q3.” The Ferrari Team Principal then added: “It is also difficult to estimate what the grip evolution will be between the last practice and qualifying. Energy management is very complicated in high-speed sections and for this reason I think estimating what the pace will be in Q3 is the key.” So all that remains is to wait for qualifying, where we will see who made the most accurate prediction of all.
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