Charles Leclerc not very confident for Abu Dhabi
Even with his excellent performance in Las Vegas, where the Ferrari driver finished second, Charles Leclerc knows that this circuit had unique conditions, which he will not find in Abu Dhabi. The Monegasque has doubts about the chances of reproducing this performance in Saudi Arabia.
The Ferrari proved to be well-suited to the Las Vegas circuit last weekend with its immense straight lines, as Leclerc and his teammate Carlos Sainz managed to lock out the front row of the grid during qualifying. And even after Sainz’s ten-place penalty, the Spanish driver was able to easily make his way back into the points. In the race, Leclerc battled against Red Bull and seemed to have the pace to secure his first victory of the season, until the safety car came out onto the track.
If his second place, snatched from Sergio Pérez in the last lap, is an excellent result, Leclerc is aware of the particular circumstances at play. He estimated that the unique low temperatures in Las Vegas, which meant that graining mattered more than tire degradation, were something that his team knew how to handle.
That’s why he expects a return to more normal conditions in Abu Dhabi, a circuit quite demanding on tires, which will probably result in a much more difficult weekend for Ferrari. Reflecting on Las Vegas’ form, Leclerc said, “I think it says a lot about our car, and we’re in conditions that are unlike anywhere else.”
« It is very, very cold and I don’t think overheating is really a problem here. It was more about graining and trying to maintain these tires at high temperatures, and in that regard, we are pretty good. »
« But as soon as it gets warmer, we struggle more. This doesn’t give me more confidence for the future, because Abu Dhabi is going to be very different by then », to add, « on the other hand, it’s always nice to have a good weekend. I also think we have learned a lot for the future. So yes, it’s a good weekend overall ».
The boss of Ferrari, Fred Vasseur, believed that the changes in performance among the teams were due to how the cars managed their tires, which explained why some cars had as much difficulty in Brazil but were better in Las Vegas. « If you look at the Mercedes in Brazil, they were absolutely nowhere in terms of tire management, but they had a decent race this weekend. […] From one track to another, from one compound to another, it’s a different story. The conditions in Las Vegas were quite cold compared to the rest of the season, and we had good management. »
