Charles Leclerc says Ferrari doesn’t perceive the way it turned so aggressive in race trim on the Dutch Grand Prix, after being shocked to complete third at Zandvoort.
Ferrari had a tricky weekend earlier than the race, with Leclerc qualifying sixth and Carlos Sainz failing to achieve Q3, however each automobiles made spectacular progress on Sunday to rise to 3rd and fifth respectively. Leclerc was in a position to maintain off Oscar Piastri for the ultimate podium spot and crossed the road simply 2.5 seconds behind Max Verstappen, however is at a loss as to the place Ferrari’s efficiency got here from.
“That could be a superb query, and I feel one of the best query can also be to know why we have been 9 tenths off and immediately fairly robust ,” Leclerc mentioned. “The automotive is strictly the identical. we’ve been struggling like loopy. , we have been robust. And these are the type of issues that we’ve set to work on.
“I feel as a lot as we analyze each dangerous surprises now we have throughout a season, we additionally want to know once we do one thing good. For now, I don’t suppose as a workforce now we have the reason. So it’s an important outcome. I’m actually joyful to be standing on the rostrum. And I feel it’s a very good shock. Nevertheless, we’ve acquired to know so as to carry out extra typically at our greatest.”
Piastri had been operating forward of Leclerc at the beginning of the race however Ferrari pulled off an early first pit cease to undercut each the McLaren and George Russell. Whereas Piastri rapidly cleared Russell after his personal cease he couldn’t get previous Leclerc, one thing that additionally shocked the Ferrari driver.
“It wasn’t , as a result of my engineer was telling me about Oscar’s lap time, which when he was in free air was fairly a bit faster than me, I feel almost a second. Then when he acquired nearer, I began to push a bit extra and achieve 5 tenths. And I feel with the soiled air, he in all probability misplaced three or 4 tenths.
“He managed to remain behind and to place me fairly below strain for 2, three laps, however then couldn’t keep there due to the overheating. It was a very good technique. I didn’t anticipate to maintain that third place till the top, however we did a very good job as a workforce. I don’t suppose there was something extra we might have achieved.”
With the Italian Grand Prix at Monza this coming weekend, Leclerc admits he’s discovering it powerful to have an thought how Ferrari will carry out as it should convey upgrades to its residence race.
“Once more, it’s very, very troublesome to foretell. If you should have requested me that query , I’ll have instructed you it will likely be very troublesome. is a lot better. If we handle to know what’s happening with our automotive, then I’m fairly optimistic concerning the future. However for now, we don’t fairly have the understanding but.
“We’ve acquired an improve coming very quickly. Now I can say usually because Fred mentioned it, so it will likely be in Monza. And that, I hope, will assist us and assist us shut the hole. However till the upgrades, I all the time mentioned that the precedence for us was simply to do a injury limitation. And , we have been concentrating on P6.
“Realistically, I feel on paper, that’s what we have been preventing for. Nevertheless, after three, 4 laps, the tempo was there. And we might do P3, which is an efficient shock once more. So good factors. Nevertheless, now I simply hope that the upgrades helps us to do a step ahead.”
