Charles Leclerc remains determined despite a day that didn’t go perfectly: “I’m looking ahead, expecting a very strong McLaren”
Not entirely satisfied, but not disheartened either after a qualifying session at Monza that left the Ferrari with that crucial final tenth missing to ignite the passion of the Tifosi, Charles Leclerc, 4th on the time sheets, still maintains confidence for tomorrow’s race where the SF-24 might contend for top positions.
Leclerc spoke to Sky Sport after today’s qualifying: “I want to look forward. Behind us, there are many fast drivers I would have expected to be ahead today. Hamilton showed great race pace in FP2 but struggled a bit initially, and tomorrow he can’t afford to be slow. Our pace will be very similar to the others, so I hope to win. A good start will be crucial, and then we’ll need to stay within the DRS of the McLaren, which we expect to be very strong.”
He also commented on a seemingly out-of-sorts RB20: “Tire management will be crucial and make a difference. Red Bull will also be competitive, but I don’t think they’ll be significantly stronger than us in the race.”
Leclerc: “Sainz Stronger in the First Two Turns, Can’t Find Improvements”
Leclerc then analyzed the difference compared to his teammate: “Sainz was definitely stronger in Turns 1 and 2. It’s something we’ve analyzed and worked on, but we didn’t find significant improvements with my setup. We had the same issues from FP1 up to Turn 5. In FP2, the understeer was so evident that we couldn’t manage the car, and for some reason, the problem disappeared in FP3 but reappeared in qualifying.”
Leclerc concluded: “It’s frustrating because we lost more than two and a half tenths in just four corners at the beginning of the lap, and making up for it is very difficult. Now we need to focus on race pace and hope not to have the same issues tomorrow.”
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari HP