Charles Leclerc has revealed that Ferrari has been losing 0.25 seconds through the same four corners as he qualified in fourth place at Formula 1’s Italian Grand Prix.
Ferrari entered its home weekend optimistic that the low-downforce circuit characteristics and a seismic upgrade package would enact an upturn in competitiveness.
However, the Italian marque was unable to make it three consecutive pole positions at Monza as Leclerc propped up fourth, while team-mate Carlos Sainz came fifth.
Leclerc’s best time placed him 0.134 seconds behind Lando Norris’ benchmark time as McLaren locked out the front row, with Mercedes’ George Russell in third spot.
The Monegasque, who rued balance problems before Q3, has divulged that the time Ferrari squandered in the opening two chicanes accounted for his margin to pole.
“It’s frustrating because we were close, but it’s not enough,” Leclerc told media including Motorsport Week. “Turn 1, 2, 4, 5 we’ve had exactly the same issue since FP1.
“FP2 just understeer-y, can’t rotate the car. FP3 for some reason there wasn’t the problem anymore.
“Then qualifying it came back; that’s what is frustrating because we lose two-tenths and a half in four corners at the beginning of the lap. To come back is very difficult.
“Again, it’s the way it is, now we’ve got to focus on the race pace tomorrow. Don’t expect to have as much of an issue into Turn 1/2, 4/5 and hopefully that will help our race pace.”
Leclerc struggled through the reprofiled Turn 1/2 in comparison to Sainz, but he has denied that a drastic contrast in car set-up was behind the gap to his team-mate.
“Big differences? No. We had some differences and he was quite a big stronger in Turn 1 and 2, which is something we’ll analyse and have analysed already,” he said.
“We didn’t quite make a step forward on that side, I gain everywhere else, so we decided to stay there. At the end it’s the same lap time but it was very tricky.”
Leclerc is adamant that his attention will be on the drivers ahead in the podium places as he expects slim margins to separate the leading teams in race conditions.
“I want to look forward, backward there are a lot of guys who are super quick and would have expected to be in front of us today,” he previewed.
“At the same time, I think we can have a good race.
“There wasn’t too many differences of pace apart from Lewis [Hamilton] that did a really strong race pace in FP2.
“But he did something…. he was a bit too slow in the first part of the race simulation, which I don’t think he can do tomorrow. so I think we’ll all have a very similar race pace tomorrow.”
Leclerc has highlighted managing the tyres as the outstanding component in deciding the outcome of tomorrow’s race amid sweltering track temperatures at Monza.
Asked what he requires to fight for the win, Leclerc responded: “A good start, then try to use DRS to stay with the McLarens, which we expect to be very strong.
“Then, it will be a tyre management race, everybody has a very similar pace apart from any surprises tomorrow, I think we’re all pretty similar.
“However, we’ve got to do a good job tyre management-wise, because that is what will do the difference tomorrow.”
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