Charles Leclerc sees the podium and his hopes slipping away in Saudi Arabia
After a promising qualification, Scuderia Ferrari once again experienced a challenging race in Saudi Arabia. Charles Leclerc acknowledges that the team has "a lot" of work to do if they want to make a comeback.
With the second place in qualifying, Charles Leclerc was finally supposed to start twelfth on the grid, due to an engine penalty, following his retirement in the first round.
Author of a beautiful comeback in the first fifteen laps, the Monegasque went to the pit just before the Safety Car came out following Lance Stroll’s retirement, spoiling his strategy. On the restart, in the absence of instructions from his team, he remained stuck behind his teammate for the rest of the race.
Once I got within one and a half seconds of Carlos, it was very difficult for me to get closer, Leclerc states. The difference in pace wasn’t significant enough. I made a small mistake when I was in the DRS zone, and when I lost it, it was over.
I stayed there. That’s how it is. Honestly, I don’t think there were many more things in the car today. We just need to work to find a rhythm.
With a 61-point delay behind Red Bull in two races, the Ferrari driver expects tough months where the team will have a lot, really a lot of work to do to climb up in the rankings.
Regarding the areas in which they need to improve, he adds while comparing his car to Red Bull’s: « In straight lines, they are faster than us, and in corners, they are faster, so a bit of everything. »
