Ferrari suffered a defeat at the hands of Mercedes in the recent Formula 1 race in Spain. It appears that their upgrade did not perform as expected. However, as they prepare for the Austrian Grand Prix, Leclerc remains hopeful that Ferrari can bounce back.
In Spielberg, Leclerc expressed his belief that the car has the potential to succeed. He emphasized the need to optimize their package in order to achieve their desired results. Leclerc acknowledged that they failed to do so in Montréal, particularly with regards to the tires, which were outside of their operating window. In Barcelona, they simply lacked speed. Despite these setbacks, Leclerc expressed confidence in their preparations for the Austrian Grand Prix, stating that the simulator work went well and they are ready to fight.
When asked about the suitability of the Red Bull Ring for the SF-24, Leclerc noted that their struggles have mainly been in long, slow-speed corners, which are less prevalent at this track. This is a positive sign for Ferrari. However, they are also actively working to improve their performance in these corners. Leclerc acknowledged that they have made progress in recent races but still need to bring everything together. Nonetheless, he remains optimistic that they will perform well this weekend.
Since his victory in Monaco, Leclerc and Ferrari have encountered difficulties. When questioned, Leclerc addressed rumors that the team may have been making mistakes in their setup.
“I don’t believe so,” he stated. “In Montréal, we have successfully identified the issues, which primarily stemmed from the tires. In Barcelona, it was purely a matter of lacking speed, as we were slower than anticipated.
“However, I don’t believe we failed to optimize our overall package. We will continue to work on ourselves and strive to optimize the new components installed on the car. This was our first race in Barcelona, and there is still more work to be done in order to fully comprehend and utilize these new parts.
“Nonetheless, I do not believe that the problems encountered in Montréal and Barcelona are indicative of a larger trend,” he asserted.
Although Leclerc acknowledged Ferrari’s difficulties in low-speed corners, it was pointed out to him that the SF-24 also seemed to struggle in high-speed situations during the Spanish GP in Barcelona.
He provided an explanation, stating, “During the race, it is often challenging to gauge due to extensive tire management. We may be exerting more effort in sectors 9 and 13 compared to others, which could appear as a weakness externally but may not be the case in reality.
“However, during qualifying, we clearly lost significant ground in corners 5 and 10 in Barcelona. Corner 10, in particular, aligns with the characteristics I mentioned earlier – slow and long corners, characterized by low speeds.
“These are the areas we truly need to focus on. In qualifying, I do not believe corners 9 and 13 posed major weaknesses,” he concluded.
Leclerc enters the Austrian GP in third place in the 2024 F1 Drivers’ Championship, trailing second-placed Lando Norris by a mere two points. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen maintains a considerable lead of 69 points over the British driver.