Charles Leclerc encountered trouble during the final stages of Q3 on Saturday in the Austrian Grand Prix. The six-time winner of the Grand Prix will begin the race in P6 on the grid after facing difficulties in his last run in Q3. Leclerc has expressed his hopes for a strong performance from the Maranello-based team in order to achieve realistic goals in the upcoming race.
Leclerc has been a standout performer for Ferrari this season and has emerged as a strong contender against Red Bull. However, the team has struggled since their historic victory in Monaco, which has greatly impacted their chances of winning the championship. In light of this, Leclerc has acknowledged that the team has made significant changes to their SF-24 car, which they believe will make a difference on the track during the 71-lap race. Despite this, Leclerc remains cautiously optimistic and believes that a top-three finish is a realistic goal for Ferrari based on their performance throughout the weekend.
During his final push lap in Q3 on Saturday, Charles Leclerc hit the gravel, costing him the opportunity to start higher on the grid. As a result, the 25-year-old driver will now aim to make strategic moves at the start of the race in order to improve Ferrari’s chances against McLaren and Red Bull.
Ferrari Team Principal, Fred Vasseur, anticipates that the teams will strategically utilize pitstops during the main race, unlike the sprint on Saturday. Vasseur also emphasized the importance of the first lap in determining Ferrari’s overall performance in the race. He believes that strategy and pit stops will play a significant role in the outcome of the race.
Vasseur, who has been instrumental in implementing significant changes within Ferrari since joining in 2023, now faces a major challenge following the team’s average qualifying performance on Saturday. Despite this setback, Vasseur remains optimistic and highlights the advantage of utilizing the DRS trains around the Red Bull Ring at specific points in time. The upcoming race will be crucial in determining Ferrari’s ability to close the gap to leading teams such as McLaren and Red Bull, as they aim to secure podium finishes for the first time since Monaco this year.