Charles Leclerc speaks after Friday practice: Ferrari strong on race pace but struggles over a single lap
It was a Friday of two halves in Imola for Ferrari. In the afternoon, the team showed good potential over long runs, but they continued to struggle significantly in qualifying simulations. Leclerc ended the session 475 thousandths behind Piastri, and the gap currently seems difficult to close. At Imola, starting from the front is crucial, which is why Ferrari will need to work hard to optimize qualifying for tomorrow.
These were Charles Leclerc’s words after the first two free practice sessions: “FP1 was a bit tricky and we encountered some issues during the session. In the second session we managed to put together something a bit better, but we’re still lacking performance. Our race pace seemed decent, but Imola is a track where overtaking is quite difficult. Right now, our weak point is qualifying performance, so that’s what we’ll focus on tonight ahead of tomorrow.”
The Monegasque driver also added: “Some other teams are struggling more than usual with race pace, so that’s an advantage for us, but McLaren has been the only consistent one this season. The pace is there in the long runs, but our weakness is still qualifying pace—and I don’t have a magic wand for that. Starting from the second row would help a lot, and even if we don’t get there—since it’s tough for us—I still really believe in our chances on Sunday. If we have the same race pace as today, even with overtaking being hard, we can do something.”
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari Gallery
