Ferrari sees big margin towards Red Bull and pole: 'Rest of field close'

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished eighth and ninth once and sixth and seventh once. Looking perhaps a little disappointing, both Ferrari drivers seem to hint that they have not yet shown the back of their tongues. This Friday was mainly about getting to know the updates for the SF23 better.

We will keep pushing to try and make the steps forward that we want in order to be more at ease with the car tomorrow and then we will be able to see where we are," Leclerc said in his employer's press release. "For today, it’s clear that although Red Bull has the edge over everyone, the rest of the field is very, very tight."

Sainz speaks of busy day

Sainz goes on to talk about the updates Ferrari brought to the Barcelona circuit. "There were plenty of new things to try today on the car and we were constantly adapting to the setup changes and analysing the differences between parts across the two sessions. We also tried all three compounds, so overall it has been a full day of preparation for the rest of the weekend."

Ferrari is traditionally strong in qualifying, but the main issue this weekend will be who handles the tyres best. Of the four top teams, the Maranello-based racing stable has had the most trouble with that in 2023 for now.