F1 News: Charles Leclerc Cautiously Optimistic For Las Vegas GP

Charles Leclerc remains optimistic with the pace of the SF-23 in Las Vegas.

Charles Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz showcased remarkable speed during the Las Vegas GP free practice sessions. Despite Sainz facing a significant setback with a ten-place grid penalty, the Ferrari team's spirits remain high, with Leclerc expressing cautious optimism about their chances.

Key Takeaways:

• Impressive Practice Session: Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz dominated the free practice sessions at the Las Vegas Strip circuit, setting the fastest times. Their performance indicates a strong start for the team in this crucial stage of the season.
• Focused Preparation: Despite the early finish of the first session and a delay to the second, both drivers capitalised on the extended 90-minute session. They completed 39 laps each, testing various tyre compounds and fuel loads to optimise their performance for the upcoming qualifying and race.

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz set a rapid pace in the Las Vegas Grand Prix's free practice, with Leclerc topping the timesheets. The sessions, conducted on the new Las Vegas Strip circuit, concluded with Leclerc's fastest lap of 1'40"909 on Soft tyres before the interruption.

The first session's abrupt end, caused by a loose drain cover, led to significant damage to Sainz's SF-23, necessitating a grid penalty for him.

In the extended second session, both drivers completed 39 laps each, using three sets of Soft tyres for qualifying simulations and one set of Medium tyres for race trim testing. Their efforts paid off with Leclerc and Sainz setting the two fastest times of 1'35"265 and 1'35"782, respectively, and also evaluating their race pace effectively.

Leclerc reflected on the day's challenges and the team's performance, noting the limited mileage in FP1 and the productive FP2 session. He commented as part of the Ferrari press release:

"It was a bit of a different day. With FP1 being stopped after just four laps, we didn't get much mileage in, so we did our best to make up for it in FP2, with 90 minutes and 4 tyre compounds available to us.

"The session was productive, we put in a solid number of laps and I really enjoyed driving on this track.

"For now, we look quite competitive, but there is still a long way to go. We have a limited amount of time left to prepare for tomorrow, so we will work hard to keep this momentum."