Fourth on the grid in Japan, Charles Leclerc defends his performance while pointing out the current limits of his Ferrari.
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On the Suzuka circuit, Charles Leclerc delivered a solid performance in qualifying by taking fourth place on the grid. An encouraging result on paper, even if the Monegasque has some regrets.
At the heart of the discussions after the session, his passage through the Spoon corner raised questions, notably due to a particularly aggressive line. But Leclerc was quick to clarify immediately: for him, it was in no way a mistake.
“No mistake at all, he insists. It was the best lap I’ve done even with the snap I had in Spoon, because thanks to that snap I was able to pick up speed and it allowed me to do a better lap and it was beneficial.”
Frustration linked to consistency
While his final lap fully satisfies him, Leclerc highlights a deeper problem: the difficulty of reproducing performance from one run to another. A lack of consistency that complicates reading the car’s behavior and limits its ability to progress.
“What is more disturbing is the performance we lose from one run to another in terms of driving, I tried to push more in the last lap, I gain everywhere, but it’s frustrating because I’m just losing time with these regulations, I find it hard to accept but that’s how it is.”
This variability seems directly linked to the new technical rules, particularly regarding energy management, which impose a different approach to pure attack in qualifying on the drivers.
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A competitive Ferrari… but under constraints
Despite these difficulties, Leclerc recognizes that his car has certain strengths, particularly in the early stages of the race. An element that could prove decisive on a track like Suzuka, where track position is crucial.
“It’s good because we have a car that is quite good at the start, but we’ll have to see. I still think we won’t have this advantage over time but I hope we’ll keep it as long as possible and that it will be the case tomorrow to put us in the best possible situation.”
Aware of the forces at play, Leclerc approaches the rest of the weekend with caution. While he believes in his chances of playing the spoiler, he remains realistic in the face of particularly sharp competition.
“We hope in any case against the McLarens, because Mercedes is faster in the race. We will give everything to fight against them, but we know that if they find themselves in clean air for a lap while being ahead, they will pull away.”
In a context where every detail counts, Leclerc will have to capitalize on his good grid position to hope for a solid result. Between personal satisfaction and technical frustration, the Ferrari driver perfectly illustrates the challenges imposed by this new era in Formula 1.
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