Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc voiced displeasure after Friday’s second practice session, admitting that the SF-24 had yet to fully recover from its mid-season performance issues. He predicted that the car lacked the speed required to compete for a win on Sunday.
The Maranello team introduced changes for the Dutch Grand Prix to reclaim the performance it had lost following mid-season upgrades. Both Leclerc and Carlos Sainz had a considerable loss in pace before the summer break, which was exacerbated by chronic bouncing troubles with their vehicles.
After placing tenth in FP2, the Monegasque driver acknowledged significant improvements in the car but conceded they are insufficient to compete with Red Bull, McLaren, and Mercedes at the front. Speaking to the media on Friday at Zandvoort, Leclerc stated:
“It was as tough as expected.
“We don’t have the same pace as the men up front, sadly.
“I believe it is better than what appears on the timesheet at the end of the day, but it is certainly not in contention for the win.
“There is still a lot of work to be done, and that is exactly what we are doing. I hope it pays off soon.”
Leclerc forecasts a “difficult weekend” for Ferrari unless the anticipated bad weather allows the team to make the most of Saturday, which might serve as a decent starting point for Sunday’s race. He added:
“I truly hope so; I’ll try to do something exceptional in qualifying, but we’re talking about gaps that are currently too large to accomplish anything special.
“If we can reach within two or three tenths, there may be something to be done. If not, I am expecting a rough weekend for us.”
As the countdown to the final ten races before Sainz moves for Williams, paving the door for Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari, Leclerc confessed that, while their on-track competitiveness has occasionally caused friction, their friendship off the track has remained cordial.
He admitted during an appearance on the Beyond The Grid podcast that he would miss the Spaniard next season, reflecting on how well they had gotten along. He admits:
“I shall miss Carlos as a person. We get along quite well. Unfortunately, in today’s world, everything gets over-analyzed and over-criticized, but we have always had a great relationship.
“There have been moments when, with the helmet on, I loathed him and he despised me because we did not view things the same way. Then, everything is resolved by talking to one another.”
He added:
“We share a lot of interest and we have lived moments that I will remember forever.”
