Charles Leclerc, lost at Silverstone: « There wasn’t a lap where I was on the pace »
After a frustrating fourteenth-place finish at Silverstone, Charles Leclerc makes no secret of his disappointment. Bad strategic choices, a sluggish pace and a single-seater that was difficult to control: the Ferrari driver looks back on an "extremely complicated" Grand Prix.
Fourteenth at the finish of the British Grand Prix, which was second to last considering the five race retirements, and after starting in sixth position, Charles Leclerc did not try to embellish his performance at Silverstone. The Ferrari driver candidly pointed out to Canal Plus a failed race from start to finish, marked by a poor strategic choice, a blatant lack of pace, and a difficult-to-handle car.
From the first laps, the Scuderia’s strategy proves shaky. “« It was the wrong decision »,” asserts Leclerc regarding the choice to switch to slicks during the warm-up lap. « Afterward, it’s never a ‘clean cut’ in these situations, but we were on the wrong side of things at that moment. »
Beyond the initial mistake, it is especially the performance itself that worries the Monegasque. Honestly, there wasn’t a lap where I was in the rhythm. Even a second behind the others, I almost ended up in the wall quite a few times. Two or three times… maybe more. He mentions a car extremely difficult to drive, slippery and unpredictable on both wet and dry tracks.
Happy for Lewis Hamilton
In the face of these difficulties, Leclerc hopes to learn a few lessons from comparing himself with his teammate. « If there’s one positive point to take away today, it’s Lewis [Hamilton]’s race, who, with the same car as me, had a much better pace. I’d like to understand where I went in the wrong direction. I have a little idea. »
Another surreal moment of his race: a visor problem in the middle of a downpour. « Water got into my helmet… not in the visor, no, straight into my eyes. It wasn’t great. I went off the track because of it. After that, the helmet was perfect. I don’t know what happened, it never happens. »
Distraught, Charles Leclerc now hopes to learn lessons from this dark day at Silverstone. But one thing is certain: Ferrari will need to revise its approach, both strategically and technically, to hope for improvement in the next race at Spa. Especially since rain often tends to make an appearance in Belgium…
