Leclerc Cautiously Optimistic Despite Pole Position, Predicts “Tricky” Race for Ferrari at Belgian Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc expresses skepticism regarding Ferrari's ability to maintain their advantage at the Belgian Grand Prix, citing the absence of a "magical solution" for what he anticipates to be a challenging race.

Charles Leclerc has minimized expectations for Ferrari maintaining the lead in the Belgian Grand Prix, having secured pole position following Max Verstappen.

Leclerc delivered an impressive final lap in Q3, edging out Sergio Perez for the second spot, just behind Verstappen.

Nonetheless, Leclerc is set to begin the race at Spa-Francorchamps in the leading position on Sunday, following an engine penalty that affects Verstappen.

Leclerc began the previous year's race at the front, having taken over pole position from Verstappen, but was overtaken by Perez right at the beginning.

Leclerc believes that if it hadn't been for the rainy conditions, securing a fifth-place finish would have been a commendable outcome for

Addressing the media at Spa, where Crash.net reporters are on site in the paddock, he commented: “Honestly, I'm quite taken aback. Even upon completing the lap, I didn't think it merited a second-place finish. Sure, it was a solid, mistake-free lap, which is crucial under such circumstances.

"I'm convinced that particularly by the time we reach the third quarter in the final lap, it's common knowledge among everyone that this is the crucial moment, which might lead to a higher chance of errors. From my perspective, my lap was smooth, though not outstanding. So, indeed, securing the second position makes me quite pleased, yet it was beyond my anticipations."

"Today, achieving a fifth place would have been somewhat satisfactory for the team, but we've managed to secure the second position, and tomorrow we're set to start from the pole position, which is positive. However, like I mentioned earlier, we don't possess a miraculous strategy to enhance our speed during the race, so we're anticipating a challenging day ahead."

Since their victory at the Monaco Grand Prix in May, Ferrari has faced challenges in maintaining their performance.

Ferrari's main issue has been bouncing, which intensified after an upgrade was implemented in Barcelona.

Leclerc indicated that if the qualifying session had not been wet, it probably would have affected Ferrari once more.

"Today was good. However, in rainy conditions, it tends to be less problematic," he continued. "We had a few more challenges with it yesterday. Yet, I don't foresee it becoming a problem in tomorrow's race.

"This is indeed a good outcome. Absolutely. However, had the qualifying been in dry conditions, I believe we would have faced more challenges."

Explore Further

Recent Updates

Recent Updates

Site Navigation

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

Copying or reproducing any part of the text, photos, or illustrations in any manner is strictly forbidden.