Charles Leclerc: « We’ve been struggling for two races »
After taking a back seat during the Spanish weekend, the Ferrari driver made no secret of his disappointment after Sunday's race. He regretted the slight collision with Carlos Sainz, his team-mate, which may have cost him 4th place.
The reaction of Charles Leclerc and Ferrari was expected after a very complicated Canadian weekend. The response was timid: the Scuderia seemed unable to fight for the podium. Friday’s day was tough for the Monegasque driver, he seemed far from the pace he had in May. In qualifying, which is usually one of his specialties, he didn’t manage to stand out (5th).
« We were waiting for the race to judge if the performance was better. It wasn’t much better. It’s a weekend where we expected better, I hope it’s something that won’t happen again. But it’s been two Grand Prix now since Canada where we struggled. I think it was due to different problems. Over the course of a season, you always have to be present and that wasn’t the case in the last two GPs.
He took the turn as if I wasn’t there
By starting from 5th place, then quickly dropping to 6th after overtaking his teammate, he was out of sync with the other drivers’ strategies for a long time. He was the last one to pit at the end of the first stint: at the start of the 25th lap. On soft tires towards the end of the race, he swapped positions with Carlos Sainz 10 laps before the checkered flag, who was notably slower, aiming to catch up with George Russell: in vain. The Monegasque driver still regrets the overtaking and minor collision at the start of the race with his garage neighbor.
« I braked at the same spot as he did… and he took the turn as if I wasn’t there. We were lucky to get out of it more or less unscathed. I had damage on the front left, I lost a few points (aerodynamic) on the front. Apart from that, it was relatively okay. It’s a shame because George Russell was within reach, and considering the last lap, it could have made a difference. But… with the right « and », we could have done a lot of things and today we didn’t. »
In Monaco we have outperformed.
June has been difficult so far for Charles Leclerc. After a positive May, culminating in his first victory at home, in Monaco, things have become more complicated with Canada and Spain: « In Monaco we overperformed, because there are other factors at play. But now it’s been two races where we struggled, we will have to react. » Starting next Sunday in Austria?
