AUSTIN — Charles Leclerc is ready to begin fourth in Sunday’s United States Grand Prix, however the Ferrari driver is decidedly “optimistic” about his probabilities of combating ahead when the lights exit.
Talking with the media, together with SB Nation, following qualifying on Saturday Leclerc went into element a few of the points Ferrari is having in the intervening time in Austin. However he went on to notice that these “limitations” usually are not current to such an extent in race situations, resulting in his optimism.
“None of us had been able to going to struggle with the highest two. They had been too quick. However that’s additionally what we anticipated as a group,” mentioned Leclerc on Saturday night. “The primary sector in qualifying yesterday and at the moment we knew we have now a limitation in our automotive in the intervening time and not one of the setup choices we considered would treatment that situation.
“However within the race we have now rather a lot much less that situation and in order that’s why I’m a bit extra optimistic for tomorrow’s race.”
Leclerc additionally outlined that the possibilities are there for him to win, offered Ferrari has the identical tempo they confirmed within the F1 Dash Race on Saturday.
“I imply, after all the assumption is at all times to attempt to go and win,” started Leclerc. “I believe that if we see the same tempo to this morning, we have now probabilities to win.
“Nevertheless, I anticipate the others to have performed a step ahead.
“The problems had been nonetheless there, nevertheless it perhaps seemed just like the others have modified a little bit bit their philosophy of automotive setup and began to battle as properly within the first arrange within the first sector like us, as a result of the hole shouldn’t be as massive as yesterday on that exact sector,” continued Leclerc. “In order that’s in all probability imply that tomorrow they are going to be additionally doing a step ahead within the race.”
Talking with the media on Thursday in Ferrari’s hospitality area, Leclerc cautioned that Ferrari weren’t the “favorites” coming into america Grand Prix, as a result of it was not but obvious whether or not latest upgrades made by the group had been offering track-specific advantages — comparable to in Azerbaijan and at Monza — or whether or not they would translate to the Circuit of the Americas.
Whereas outcomes to this point have proven indicators of progress, Leclerc believes the true reply will are available in america Grand Prix itself.
“I believe we did [show progress],. if I assess what we see and what we really feel from the start of the weekend. However tomorrow is the true take a look at, clearly, with the entire race,” mentioned Leclerc. “But when we see the same tempo this morning tomorrow within the race, I believe we want a step ahead for positive, as a result of it’s usually fairly a great observe to take a look at all traits of a automotive.”
Leclerc, and the remainder of Ferrari, will get these solutions later at the moment.
