Charles Leclerc struggled to seek out the best solutions, however not many are on provide in the mean time for Ferrari.
Speaking with the official Formula 1 channel following a stunning elimination in Q2, the Ferrari driver lamented a irritating state of play for the group in the mean time. Leclerc has endured a troublesome stretch of performances within the weeks since his victory on the Monaco Grand Prix which noticed the Monegasque driver lastly break via with a win at house, regardless of Ferrari bringing a sequence of upgrades to the SF-24. He completed out of the factors within the Canadian Grand Prix and after a fifth-place end in Barcelona, Lecler introduced house solely two factors from Austria, each of which got here from a seventh-place end within the F1 Sprint Race at Red Bull Ring.
That run might proceed on Sunday, as Leclerc will begin in P11 in what he calls a “gradual” automobile.
We are simply gradual. We are simply actually gradual in the mean time and we’ve got a whole lot of inconsistencies with the automobile,” stated Leclerc to F1TV. “I don’t assume it fairly helps that we try to additionally… we try to simply assess the state of affairs we’re in in the mean time and attempt to perceive that are the instructions wherein we have to push into.”
The driver famous that the group tried some completely different configurations in observe, to attempt to unlock the reply to the questions they confronted with the SF-24. While Leclerc famous that the choice supplied some potential options for Ferrari, it was not sufficient to unlock the time he wanted to succeed in Q3.
“I felt like yesterday, by splitting the automobiles [with pre and post-Barcelona configurations], we understood a great quantity to make use of for the long run,” described Leclerc. “However, that signifies that perhaps you don’t optimise your entire weekend as you might be centered on simply attempting to be taught, and when you’re talking a few tenth to go to Q3, it’s all about small particulars. So in the mean time we’re simply fighting the state of affairs we’re in, and I hope we are able to bounce again as quickly as potential.”
Leclerc in contrast the technique to an identical determination Ferrari made a 12 months in the past. Last season noticed the Scuderia struggling through the summer season, and attempting completely different configurations on the Dutch Grand Prix helped the group enhance down the stretch.
“I feel final 12 months we did that in Zandvoort, the place it was actually a turning level of the season and we did effectively,” stated Leclerc. “We shouldn’t over-panic, however it’s true that now this troublesome time has been there for longer than final 12 months, so we’ve actually acquired to react now and I hope that from subsequent race onwards we are able to re-optimise the weekend like we did firstly of the season.”
Things have been a bit higher for teammate Carlos Sainz Jr., who superior to the third section of qualifying and can begin Sunday’s British Grand Prix up in seventh, however Ferrari appears on the again foot in contrast with a few of their rivals in the mean time.
Perhaps including to the frustration is that this weekend might current a missed alternative for the Scuderia. With Sergio Pérez beginning behind the grid, and Max Verstappen set to start out fourth, Ferrari might have taken a giant step in direction of Red Bull on the entrance of the grid.
Instead, they’re nonetheless in search of solutions to what Leclerc calls a “gradual” race automobile.
