Charles Leclerc Disappointed With Ferrari Performance - 'Not In the Fight For The Win'

Saajan Jogia | Aug 24, 2024

Nov 17, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles LeClerc of Monaco (16) celebrates after securing pole position during qualifying at Las Vegas Strip Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc expressed his disappointment following Friday's second practice session, acknowledging that the SF-24 still hadn't fully recovered from its mid-season performance struggles. He predicted that the car lacked the pace needed to contend for a victory on Sunday.

The Maranello outfit introduced updates for the Dutch GP to regain the performance it lost following mid-season upgrades. Both Leclerc and Carlos Sainz struggled with a noticeable drop in pace before the summer break, compounded by persistent bouncing issues affecting their cars.

After finishing ninth in FP2, the Monegasque driver acknowledged noticeable improvements in the car but admitted they aren't sufficient to compete with Red Bull, McLaren, and Mercedes at the front. Speaking to the media on Friday at Zandvoort, Leclerc said:

“It was tough, as expected.

“We don’t quite have the pace as the guys in front, unfortunately. 

“I think it’s better than what it looks like on the timesheet at the end of the day but not quite in the fight for the win for sure. 

“There’s still quite a lot of work to do for sure, that’s what we’re doing. I hope it will pay off soon.”

Leclerc predicts a "difficult weekend" for Ferrari unless the forecasted severe weather provides an opportunity for the team to make the best use of Saturday, which could potentially offer a good starting point for Sunday's race. He added:

“I really hope so, I will try to do something special in qualifying but we are speaking of gaps at the moment that are a bit too big to do something special.

“If we manage to get within two or three-tenths, maybe there’s something to be done. If not, I predict a difficult weekend for us.”

As the countdown begins to the final ten races before Sainz departs for Williams, paving the way for Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari, Leclerc admitted that while their on-track rivalry has sometimes sparked tension, their relationship off the track has remained friendly.

He revealed during an appearance on the Beyond The Grid podcast that he would miss the Spaniard next season, reflecting on how well they had gotten along. He admitted:

"I will miss Carlos, the person. We get along very well. Unfortunately, in this world everything is over-analyzed and over-criticised, but we have always had a really good relationship.

"There are times, with the helmet on, when I have hated him and he has hated me, because we have not seen things in the same way. Then, everything is fixed by talking to each other."

He added:

"We share a lot of interest and we have lived moments that I will remember forever."