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 succeed in Q3, however each vehicles made spectacular progress on Sunday to rise to 3rd and fifth respectively. Leclerc was capable of 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 may be a excellent query, and I feel the perfect query can also be to grasp why we had been 9 tenths off [in qualifying] and all of a sudden fairly sturdy [in the race],” Leclerc stated. “The automobile is strictly the identical. [In qualifying] we’ve been struggling like loopy. [In the race], we had been sturdy. And these are the form of issues that we’ve set to work on.
“I feel as a lot as we analyze each dangerous surprises we have now throughout a season, we additionally want to grasp once we do one thing good. For now, I don’t suppose as a staff we have now the reason. So it’s an amazing end result. I’m actually completely satisfied to be standing on the rostrum. And I feel it’s a extremely good shock. Nevertheless, we’ve received to grasp with the intention to carry out extra typically at our greatest.”
Piastri had been working forward of Leclerc firstly 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 [easy], 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 received nearer, I began to push a bit extra and acquire 5 tenths. And I feel with the soiled air, he most likely misplaced three or 4 tenths.
“He managed to remain behind and to place me fairly below stress for 2, three laps, however then couldn’t keep there due to the overheating. It was a extremely good technique. I didn’t anticipate to maintain that third place till the tip, however we did a extremely good job as a staff. I don’t suppose there was something extra we may have executed.”
With the Italian Grand Prix at Monza this coming weekend, Leclerc admits he’s discovering it robust to have an thought how Ferrari will carry out as it would deliver upgrades to its residence race.
“Once more, it’s very, very tough to foretell. If you should have requested me that query [on Saturday], I’ll have advised you it will likely be very tough. [Now] is a lot better. If we handle to grasp what’s occurring with our automobile, then I’m fairly optimistic in regards to the future. However for now, we don’t fairly have the understanding but.
“We’ve received an improve coming very quickly. Now I can say usually because Fred [Vasseur] stated 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 at all times stated that the precedence for us was simply to do a injury limitation. And [at Zandvoort], we had been focusing on P6.
“Realistically, I feel on paper, that’s what we had been preventing for. Nevertheless, after three, 4 laps, the tempo was there. And we may 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.”
