The British GP will round off the first triple-header of 2024. For Ferrari, it is their last chance to recover from a difficult run of form since Monaco. Charles Leclerc is convinced that the negative trend can be reversed soon. Team principal Fred Vasseur thinks similarly, still optimistic the Scuderia can unlock more speed from the SF-24.
LECLERC: “THE UPDATE WORKS, IT’S JUST A MATTER OF OPTIMISING IT”
The Austrian GP weekend did not help Ferrari understand their updates, with the Sprint format limiting their ability to experiment. At Silverstone, the traditional weekend format allows the Scuderia to spend more time unlocking their package. Of course, the threat of rain could complicate things for Ferrari.
“If it were to rain, the test we wanted to do between the two cars, just to confirm some things, will have to be postponed to the next race, ” admitted Leclerc.
“However, we are still trying to understand where to set up the car to maximise the potential of these updates. Because, as I have said several times, the numbers we expected from this update are there .”
Ferrari remains convinced that the Spain upgrade package is delivering what it should. The issue, as ever, is optimising performance.
“The update works as it should. It’s more about where you drive the car to optimise those numbers that we see. And for now, we haven’t managed to do that, ” explains Leclerc.
“We are still working on it. I think it depends a lot on optimising the package, so it’s something that can be solved in the short term. We already have some ideas in the direction we want to push, given that we saw some big differences between the cars in the last race. So I don’t think it’s something we can’t solve in the short term .”
OPTIMISM REMAINS ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF REVERSING THE TREND
In short, despite recent disappointments, Leclerc is confident that he can soon return to fighting for victory. As demonstrated by the big step forward made by Mercedes, when the right solution is found to gain a couple of tenths, the picture changes completely:
“I am confident that, if we make the steps forward that we expect to make soon, then we can fight for victory in the race. That is because, again, we are only talking about 2-3 tenths. That makes a huge difference today.
“I am confident that once we no longer have these problems and we optimize our package, the 2-3 tenths will be in the car.
We just need to find them and consistently put the car in the right window. In Montreal I don’t think it was because of the package, we still had the old one. It was more related to other things, whereas, in the last two races, we have struggled to do that. We have worked very, very hard. There is work to do, for sure, and we are doing it. But I am confident that once we solve the problems, we will be back where we want to be .”
Analysing Ferrari’s difficulties in recent weekends, Leclerc underlined the impact of such a competitive field:
“I think my approach has always been the same. The only thing that changes today is that in two-tenths, you can go from being a hero to struggling a lot.
“In Austria, for example, being two-tenths behind means going from the first to the third row. So that makes a big difference.
“Therefore, every time you bring a new package, you have to make sure you optimise it as quickly as possible. Otherwise, you fall behind. So only by optimising our package will we make a step forward, not by staying where we were at the start of the season .”
THE APPROACH TO ON-TRACK DUELS WITH VERSTAPPEN AND THE OTHER DRIVERS
Leclerc also addressed the hot topic of the moment, namely Max Verstappen’s conduct in defending against Lando Norris’s attacks in the Austrian GP. Speaking about his approach to battles, the Ferrari driver said:
“You always know the drivers more, and obviously, Max, I think, is probably the driver I know the most on the grid because we have been driving against each other for a long time. Since 2010, I think.
“I think you know more or less how things are going to go. However, I don’t fight with the others in different ways. I always try to do it in the same way.
“Then it depends above all on the situation you are in. Of course, if you are fighting for sixth place and in the championship, Max is 100 points ahead, you might not fight so hard. But when there is a win on the table, I will always go full out with whoever I am facing.”
