Jock Clear: “Sainz’s victory in 2023 pushed Leclerc to improve his race pace”
Ferrari's performance engineer, Jock Clear, revisited the team's latest results, particularly those of Charles Leclerc. This season, the Monegasque driver appears to have raised his game, especially in terms of his race pace. This new development can be explained by a challenging 2023 season during which he did not secure any victories unlike his teammate.
The only victory of Ferrari last year was beneficial for both drivers. This is what Jock Clear, the performance engineer in the Italian team, reported. The British man explained that seeing Sainz win the Singapore Grand Prix last year, Ferrari’s only victory in 2023, had a positive impact on Charles Leclerc’s morale. This forced the Monegasque to work even harder, which he seems to have done this season. “I think he reacted well to a very strong teammate,” Clear told the official F1 channel.
« We have often discussed Carlos’ qualities, and the fact is that Carlos probably doesn’t quite have that top speed that Charles can show in qualifying,” Clear analyzes. « But look at Singapore last year, and that really struck Charles. It was a race that Charles should have won as the favorite. In Singapore, he often goes there with a lot of confidence, and of course, seeing Carlos snatch that victory away from him really hurt him. »
A more solid driver in races this season
That day, the former Sauber driver had finished in a lower position than his qualifying result (3rd in qualifying, 4th in the race on Sunday). A situation that often repeated itself during his career, with a driver capable of spectacular feats on Saturday but unable to deliver on Sunday. After his race at Marina Bay in 2023, completed more than 20 seconds behind his teammate, the Ferrari driver realized that he needed to improve his performance over the course of a Grand Prix in order to be competitive throughout a race weekend. This kind of situation led him to focus on “okay, I really need to get the job done on Sunday.” This doesn’t mean he had never thought about it, but it slightly changes the way he focuses.
« So, I think you see a better version of Charles, both as a driver and as a team member. » Despite having 26 poles to his name, Leclerc has only seven victories, proof of his greater pace in qualifying than in the race. Nevertheless, Jock Clear was keen to defend his driver, explaining that his performances in the fast lap exercise were too spectacular to be reproduced the next day, but that he was not just a qualifying driver and that he could also win races. « We all know what he is capable of, we have seen it in recent years », he said. « His reputation in qualifying has certainly solidified over the years, to the point that some people were telling me two or three years ago, “yes, but he’s not as good in the race as in qualifying”. And you think, well, that’s not really fair, he’s just exceptional in qualifying. »
A team that optimizes its weekends better
The British engineer notably commented on Charles Leclerc’s current season, with significantly improved results, especially during races. Moreover, the Monegasque driver seems to perform even better on Sundays than on Saturdays this season, according to statistics (he has an average qualifying position of 5.06 while his race position is 4.24). These more conclusive results can be explained by the team’s hard work to enhance their race performance. “This year, we are seeing the results of development both on the car side and the driver side. We have realized that there are no points to be won on Saturday, all the points are awarded on Sunday. So, I believe it’s true that we have slightly shifted our focus to make the car a better racing car. Managing tires is, of course, always a hot topic. However, we have seen Charles perform very well in races.”
Carlos Sainz’s teammate has improved during the winter, working in particular on his race pace, a speed he found this season, as evidenced by the Monza Grand Prix. Ferrari’s home race where, starting from fourth position, he managed to perfectly manage his tires to make only one pit stop and win ahead of the McLarens. A regained and now stable momentum that makes him a driver capable of being world champion according to Jock Clear. « He has everything it takes to become world champion. I said it in 2018 – obviously, we worked with him in the academy. We saw all the right signs at the right time. He has the speed in qualifying. My God, I honestly think he’s the best in qualifying we’ve ever seen. »
Leclerc: a future world champion?
« His race management, you look at Monza, it’s just exceptional. When everything is aligned, he can deliver incredible performances.
» The British driver therefore hopes that Ferrari will be able to quickly offer equipment that matches Leclerc’s ambitions. He hopes that number 16 will have the tools to show the full extent of his talent, something the Monegasque has not yet had in his career, according to Clear, who did not see 2022 as a chance to win the title.
« Was it really a chance for Ferrari to win a world championship? I think that, given how the development unfolded, Red Bull outperformed us in terms of development at the end of the year.
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« You will not win a championship until you are all at this level. So, when Charles reaches this level, we must also be at this level with him. And when I confidently say “yes, he is capable”, I know he will do it when we are all at this level. I know he can do what it takes when we are all up to the task. So, when we are in position and we deliver a car capable of fighting for a championship consistently, which I believe we are about to achieve, Charles will be up to the challenge. » Before that, the Monegasque must first finish his season with Ferrari on a positive note, as the Italian team is still in the running for the constructors’ championship before heading into the 2025 season, an ambitious year for Ferrari with the arrival of Lewis Hamilton alongside Charles Leclerc.
