The Ferrari driver, Charles Leclerc, made an impressive start during the Singapore Grand Prix, but failed to overtake Max Verstappen at the first corner, despite his launch being superior.
Although starting from the dirtier side of the track, which was better than usual thanks to the rain from the previous days, Leclerc positioned his front axle almost alongside Verstappen’s car shortly after the start.
Verstappen, a four-time world champion, took his stance towards the inside of the corner, forcing Leclerc to briefly cross the white line. In reacting, Leclerc braked early, and thus Verstappen managed to keep the lead from the outside.
“In those moments, the reaction time is very short,” said Leclerc. “I saw that Max had a difficult start. I got off well, tried to position myself next to him, but soon there was no space. I would have done the same in my situation.”
The Ferrari driver acknowledged that he lacked references to brake precisely. “I couldn’t see the signals on the right well, and losing the references complicated the decision on when to brake. I tried to judge it the best I could, but Max managed to hold onto the lead,” he added.
For his part, Verstappen explained that his start was not optimal due to a technical issue at the lights. “The start was crucial, so it was just for me. There was something that wasn’t working at the start, and I would like to understand what happened, as it hindered me,” he commented.
Despite his efforts, Verstappen won the race with a seven-second advantage over Leclerc, who did not feel he could truly challenge his rival for victory. “In the end, they had too much speed for us,” concluded Leclerc.
This second place consolidates his best result of the season, a success that, although frustrating, highlights the potential of the Monegasque driver.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
SourceID: SRC_34d7d4f91010331f85010fcb3e3258b8fefc8560