Charles Leclerc has revealed Ferrari is working to replicate the engine use that saw the team’s Formula 1 rivals gain an edge during qualifying at Imola last weekend.
Ferrari had emerged as the side to beat through practice at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix as Leclerc utilised his updated SF-24 car to top the opening two sessions.
However, the Monegasque and Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz were unable to maintain that and qualified behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and the McLaren drivers.
The data showed that Ferrari’s main loss was in the first sector, with Leclerc issuing that the Italian outfit spurned time on the extensive run down towards Tamburello.
Leclerc, who converted third place on the grid, has reiterated that an initial straight-line speed disadvantage was damaging and cost Ferrari a “better result in the race”.
“Re-analysing qualifying, I think we basically lost everything at the launch,” Leclerc explained.
“For some reason, we had a different power strategy compared to McLaren and Red Bull, and we lost everything on the run down to Turn 2. Max, on top of that, had the slipstream.”
Leclerc divulged that the problem had been prominent in earlier rounds this season, but he hinted that Ferrari’s subsequent deep dive post-Imola has offered solutions.
However, Leclerc has warned that the hitch which denied Ferrari securing pole position last weekend won’t be an issue at Monaco as the run to the first turn is shorter.
“It’s not a concern,” he added. “Obviously we have seen it in the last race a little bit, we’ve seen it in Jeddah a little bit.
“But I think it’s more the way we manage everything and it’s not something that is set in stone that we cannot change short term.
“So we just have to look into it, but it’s no big deal. But it seems that Red Bull and McLaren was on the positive side of things in Imola and we missed a little bit of time on that.
“We have looked into it. I don’t think that here it will make such a difference. It’s a very different situation we are in.
“However, it can for the rest of the season. So we’ve done a proper analysis on our side and I’m sure we’ll grow from that.”
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