Finished the tests for the young rookies ei Pirelli tests we can finally enjoy a session as clear as a mirror of water and which above all makes us understand what values we are faced with. Limpida is really an emblematic word when thinking about the other major theme of this weekend: the Budget cap which today saw a development with the words of Christian horner on the negotiations with the FIA. The first two sessions on the Austin track both ended in the sign of a red. The FP1 they went to Carlos Sainz while the FP2 a Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque was one of the few riders who had been granted 35 minutes of legitimate weekend preparation, having given way to Schwartzman in the first session. The FP3s, under the beating sun and with a lot of wind, ended with the best time of Max Verstappen followed by Leclerc e Sainz.
A session started uphill for Mick Schumacher who in setting off for the fastest lap signaled a problem that forced him to trudge back to the pits. A problem attributed to the ERS pump which compromised the rest of the session for the German. There are only a few weekends left until the end of the championship and Mick's situation is rather uncomfortable. The team is not convinced about his renewal and every opportunity to convince them in this sense is essential, also considering the separation from the Ferrari Driver Academy.
Lots of mistakes and corrections in this third free practice session, due in large part however to the disturbance caused by the wind, the great protagonist. Red Bull and Ferrari are once again very close but in the two pits only 1 of the starting drivers will be the protagonist for Pole. So we'll see if the teams also play with strategy in qualifying.
Other changes and penalties
The penalty table for the Austin weekend is also updated. After the already official ones of Perez and Zhou who will start with 5 positions of penalty Leclerc and Alonso also join the group. For Charles, the team has currently decided to change only two elements: turbo and ICE, which will force him to start with 10 penalty positions. However, further changes are planned in the Ferrari house, to have a 100% fresher engine. Fernando Alonso for the replacement of the ICE will instead be forced to pay for 5 positions. A small group that is starting to get interesting.
Mercedes and Ferrari in difficulty?
In FP3, the Mercedes, which showed up in Austin with the latest and most important updates to the road surface especially in some spots with bumps, appeared quite nervous. Lewis Hamilton had to make several corrections to avoid getting lost on the curbs. On the other hand, doubts about Ferrari, which still suffers from some problems in tire degradation. Both riders tried slower cool down laps to get the tire back up. Charles dedicated himself to the long run in the final stint while Sainz carried out the diametrically opposite program. The redhead must find the right balance especially in the race considering that she has already proven her worth over the flying lap.
On the other hand, there are still excellent ideas for the two Aston Martins who enter the top 10 together with Perez, Hamilton, Alonso, Russell and Gasly.
