A rather difficult Friday for Charles Leclerc, who was affected by food poisoning and a penalty on track.
“A wonderful but difficult day.” These words from Charles Leclerc sum up the entire Friday of the Monegasque driver. In the morning, the historic practice session with his brother Arthur, but then came the ten-point penalty for the battery pack change and the food poisoning, which prevented Ferrari‘s number 16 from being at his best.
In addition, the feedback from the track has been quite positive for McLaren. The two Papaya cars appeared strong in every part of the circuit and under any fuel condition. Beating the British team will be tough, but Charles Leclerc believes it’s possible and calls for focus and calm from his team.
QHere are Charles’ words after Friday’s session in Abu Dhabi: “It was a wonderful but also difficult day. The great thing was being able to share the garage with my brother Arthur, who, for the first time, participated in a practice session for our team. It was an incredible and unique moment, which I truly appreciated. The downside was the issue with the battery, which caused us to lose time and meant we could only run for part of the session, and most importantly, it will cost us a penalty for the race.”
Leclerc then stated: “We are fighting for the title, and this puts us in a bit of a tough spot, especially since McLaren seems to be quick. However, things can change quickly: we must stay focused and push until the end. Carlos and I have had four fantastic years together, and we want to finish the season on a high note. We count on each other to make our dream of winning the Constructors’ Championship come true, and we will absolutely give everything for this.”
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari