Ferrari AF Corse driver James Calado says his team’s poor performance in Bahrain is not surprising.
In the three practice sessions, Ferrari’s 499P fell short of the best lap time, and in qualifying, car No. 50 finished in 5th place and car No. 51 in 6th place, with both cars more than 1 second behind the pole time. . . With the drivers’ title at stake, the Ferrari driver will need to turn things around quickly if he is to challenge the Toyota crew in the final.
However, the Bahrain circuit is notorious for being tough on tires. This is due to the hard-wearing pavement, which has never been repaved since the circuit opened, and the nature of the layout, which is characterized by heavy braking and intense acceleration. Combine this with the fact that the 499P often struggled to care for its tires throughout its stints during the season.
Since the start of practice at Fuji, the 499P has not shown the same level of full performance as it did during its run from Sebring to Le Mans, which was of course highlighted by its historic victory at La Sarthe in June. But Calado says this is in line with the team’s expectations given the nature of the circuit and the trajectory of hypercar competitors since Le Mans.
“We knew this track was going to hurt us a lot in terms of performance, but so far the difference has been huge and we’re scratching our heads,” he told RACER. “There’s no question we’re struggling and trying to get better.”
Part of that effort focuses on maximizing the car’s performance throughout its stint.
“We wrote off our one-lap performance. I don’t think we can beat Toyota in one lap,” Calado continued. “Previously we were able to compete and get pole position, but we made a few changes to the car to improve tire deterioration and long runs.
“But the weather and red flags so far this week have thrown a wrench in our plans. We weren’t able to complete a long run before final practice, so we didn’t know where we were. Look at the numbers. Well, that’s not surprising to me. We’re doing the best we can with what we have.”
The same can be said for the drivers of its sister car, the No. 50 Ferrari. Although they are mathematically still in contention for the drivers’ title, they are 36 points behind the No. 8 Toyota driver in the standings, with only 39 points available. Calado, Alessandro Pier Guidi and Antonio Giovanazzi are now 31 points behind in the No. 51 car. As a result, Niklas Nielsen said he and his teammates were forced to wait and see ahead of the race.
“I think the situation here, just like in Japan, is quite difficult for us,” he told RACER. “We have to push a lot now to catch up with the others, so it’s difficult to put stress on the tires.
“In terms of lap times, there is not much difference between the two compounds available (from Michelin). I think there will be a change of teams in the race. Yesterday, some people used hard, some medium and some mixed. However, I think most cars will be using hard tires for the majority of the race.
When asked about the possibility of the No. 50 car competing for the title, he admitted: “It would be difficult for either car to do anything regarding the championship.” “The chances of winning are very low, especially for us. We have to see where we are after a few hours. If the other car was far ahead, that would have been the case. But if we have an opportunity, we’ll go for it.”