Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc admitted that after the FP1 session, they feel that the gap to Red Bull is tighter than expected, but they still see the Milton Keynes outfit ahead.
The Spaniard said that the first session in Suzuka went well, with Ferrari already having a “good starting base.” However, he didn’t hide that Red Bull will still “be difficult to beat this weekend.”
He also knows that the fuel loads could be different and the Milton Keynes-based squad might still have some performance in their pockets.
“FP1 was a bit closer to the Red Bulls than I anticipated or expected, so positive signs from five months ago [in Japan] to now,” Sainz said.
“Still obviously, it’s FP1 and you don’t know what fuel loads and engine modes they’re running.
“Last year we were eight-tenths off in qualifying and here, to be two-tenths off in FP1 is a good feeling and a good starting base.
“But they are going to be difficult to beat this weekend.”
Sainz continued by saying that McLaren and Mercedes might also be in the mix, and it is going to be “an interesting fight” this weekend.
“It looks tight again with the McLarens and Mercedes. Red Bull is a step ahead but maybe a smaller step ahead than I thought,” he said.
“It should be an interesting fight out there.
“I was confident in Bahrain, confident in Jeddah, and confident in Australia. I hit the ground running here.”