In the context of the Dutch GP, Charles Leclerc highlighted Ferrari’s controversial decision to use soft tires in the sprint. Despite there not being many overtakes during the race, the Monegasque driver managed to execute one of the few maneuvers, passing Lando Norris to finish second.
Leclerc, who was one of only two drivers to choose soft tires, explained that this choice was based on the analysis conducted during the practice sessions. Although he was initially concerned about the decision upon seeing most of his competitors using medium tires, he trusted in Ferrari’s good tire degradation.
“Whenever you are the only one doing something, it is either very right or very wrong,” Leclerc commented with a smile, adding that, in the end, the choice proved to be positive for the team.
The driver recognized that the strategic decision was not easy, especially considering that drivers like Lewis Hamilton were taking a different approach. However, after a good performance in the early laps, Leclerc felt satisfied with his choice.
The challenge of Ferrari’s qualifying
In addition to the tire choice, Leclerc pointed out a persistent concern: Ferrari’s weakness in qualifying. He states that although they enjoyed good race speed, qualifying remains a weak point for the team. “We knew we had a good car for the race, but we are lacking in qualifying,” he expressed.
This scenario has forced Ferrari’s drivers to confront a difficult challenge in Zandvoort, where overtaking opportunities significantly decrease as the race progresses. This raises the debate of whether they should sacrifice some race speed to improve performance in a single lap.
Leclerc, who achieved the third-best time in qualifying, offered a glimpse into his expectations for the upcoming races: “I will do everything possible to get a good starting position, although I am not sure if we can maintain the same performance as this time,” he concluded.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
