Early season car performance as seen by their Formula 1 drivers

The current Formula 1 season has been marked by ups and downs for many drivers. In the traditional Thursday press conference, several of them shared their thoughts on their performances and those of their cars, offering insights into their experiences and the challenges they have had to overcome at the start of the season. During the press conference, five drivers were able to share their feelings about the beginning of the season.

Pilots’ opinion on the matter

Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing driver first and foremost, expressed his satisfaction with the progress of the car compared to the beginning of the season. He admits that the first races were difficult, but now he feels that he has managed to better exploit his potential. “I am certainly happier now than in the first races,” he said. “I think we now have a bit more time, we have understood everything, and yes, I suppose it helps to arrive at the weekend with a better understanding of the whole thing and to know that, okay, we pretty much know the window of what this car likes, the settings.” According to recent results, it would seem that the RB car has indeed improved over the course of the season. In Hungary, the two drivers finished in ninth and twelfth place respectively.

The situation is quite the opposite at Ferrari. While they had achieved good performances at the start of the season, the car now seems to not be as talented on the track. This is confirmed by Ferrari driver, Carlos Sainz. “Yes, I guess on a personal level, it has been a season full of ups and downs, as everyone here could say,” he acknowledges, “but with very good moments at the beginning, with a competitive car that allowed me to fight for many podiums, a race win, and I really enjoyed that. And I hope we can regain that position as quickly as possible.”

While for some teams, the answer is clear, two drivers, on the other hand, seem only half satisfied with their cars this season. With some races better than others, but still many points scored, Aston Martin and Haas don’t really know on which foot to dance. Lance Stroll and Kevin Magnussen, who were present this Thursday, shared their feelings, which were still quite positive. “The usual things, you know, some good races, some disappointing ones. And yes, you know, for the second half of the season, it’s just about building on the first half, becoming more competitive as a team, trying to score points every week. So, keep pushing until the last race,” shared Lance Stroll.

On his side, Kevin Magnussen seems slightly more enthusiastic. “I think that as we approached this year, we thought we would be the last team on the grid and we weren’t. So, I think it’s a positive surprise. There are always, when looking back, things we could have done better, but I think everyone can say that, so I feel like we’ve had a good first half of the season,” said the Danish driver. “And it’s the first time in Haas’s history that we have made improvements to the car that have made it faster. So, that’s already a real progress. I hope we can continue on this momentum.”

Disappointment on Sauber’s side.

Finally, the only single-seater that seems to be truly disappointing this season is Sauber’s car, the only team that has yet to score any points since the beginning. With a driver in the press conference, it’s difficult to praise a vehicle that doesn’t seem to be functioning properly this year. Valtteri Bottas described a challenging year for his team, which was far from their initial goals. « We started the season with a car that wasn’t easy to set up. And even in terms of pure speed, we weren’t really at the level. We have made some progress since, but rather small steps than big leaps, unlike other teams around us,” commented the driver. « So, we certainly have a clear direction for the second half of the season where we need to improve the car, but that’s what we have to do now. We need to make it faster. ».

The thoughts running through the minds of Formula 1 drivers show how focused the teams already are on the rest of the season. With data that is already analyzable, they benefit from key elements that should allow them to improve their car. The criticism from the drivers highlights that each of them is working closely with their teams to improve performance and achieve their goals this year.