With Ferrari’s second consecutive triumph at the Singapore Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc is out of the limelight as the winner of the race, Carlos Sainz stole it all. The Scuderia team is marred with strategic errors yet they managed to secure a grand win at one of the toughest races in the Formula 1 calendar. Once considered as second in line after the Monegasque driver on board, Sainz has been in amazing form since the trip to their home ground at Monza.
However, Leclerc seems to have contrasting views that do not align with the objectives of the team. He said, “Well, overall, I think the whole season has been a bit less positive for me compared to last season. I’m just less at ease with the car compared to last year’s car, which was very easy to manage the oversteer. Carlos always likes to be a bit more on the understeer [side], and I prefer to be a bit more on the oversteer. But for now, it’s not possible for me.”
Charles: “The whole season is less positive for me than last year: with the old car it was easy to control the oversteer, but with this one it is more difficult. We are working on it, but we need time and for now I have to look for a set-up that I am not very happy with. In the…
— tami. (@Vetteleclerc) September 21, 2023
As we approach the Suzuka weekend, Leclerc expressed his enthusiasm for getting behind the wheel, particularly since the Japanese circuit ranks among the top favorites on the calendar for any driver. The Spaniard has gained a substantial 19-point lead over Leclerc in the Drivers’ Standings as a consequence of his superb showing in Singapore. As the season enters its closing stretch, this change in momentum favors Sainz strongly.
Charles Leclerc urges Ferrari to help end Max Verstappen’s reign
Ferrari stands in a tough spot to maintain the progress that they have gained in the last few races. But amidst that, the Prancing Horse team is being tasked with a difficult task by Charles Leclerc, who wants them to “put together” the remainder of the Japanese Grand Prix weekend in an effort to catch up to Red Bull. Nevertheless, Verstappen is a formidable force that is hard to take down and, in fact, he has even challenged the rest of the grid for the race at Suzuka.
P2 baby in FP2 ! #F1 #Charles16 #JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/vTn3JAZ28N
— Charles Leclerc 16 Fan page 🇲🇨 (@Cl16__FanpageFr) September 22, 2023
The Monegasque said, “I don’t think there was a lot of performance in it, but it is good to see we are continuing to learn about the car, and over the last two or three races, we have learnt a lot. Now it is about putting it all together, which we did in Singapore. We need to do that now as Red Bull seems extremely quick this weekend.” Ferrari is undoubtedly eager to prevent Red Bull from regaining its past dominant spot.
Leclerc openly acknowledged that the tweaks made to the Ferrari in recent races in order to render the car’s handling more predictable had left him feeling a little uneasy. After his lackluster performance in Singapore, he seems to be in the heat to take down Red Bull drivers single-handedly. However, regardless of Ferrari’s strategies, the Milton Keynes-based team is hard to shake off from the top.
