Charles Leclerc says qualifying for the Mexican Grand Prix performed into his weak spot round low-grip circuits, after qualifying over three tenths down on pole-sitter and Ferrari Method 1 team-mate Carlos Sainz.
The Monegasque might solely handle fourth on the grid after saving his Ferrari from a Flip 10 snap as he was tackling the high-speed corners, a end result he admitted was disappointing, however not totally stunning.
He defined that this got here as he was taking dangers along with his driving in an effort to match Sainz, and maybe wanted to consider dialling it again in qualifying in comparable circumstances to make sure he was much less compromised by comparable errors.
Nevertheless, he countered that his efficiency within the long-run simulations throughout apply had buoyed him – though conceded that beginning fourth will make his life harder.
“I am disillusioned, however I am not stunned. I used to be struggling and never feeling properly since FP2 with the automobile. That is the way in which it’s,” Leclerc stated.
“In Q3, the lap was coming very properly till Flip 10 the place I misplaced the automobile, however I needed to take these dangers simply because I did not have the tempo. It is the way in which it’s. I believe P4 will not be that dangerous, however in fact it may very well be higher.
“[I’m missing] grip and feeling. Typically you just like the steadiness; at the moment I do not, yesterday I did not both. I believe it is in all probability not one in all my strengths, the qualifying in very low-grip tracks.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24
Photograph by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Photographs
“I are likely to push quite a bit in qualifying, in Monza and right here I at all times battle quite a bit with that. Nevertheless, it is the way in which it’s. The one factor that offers me some optimism is that I believe I used to be the quickest man yesterday in race simulations, which is an effective factor, ranging from fourth and making my life harder.
“I’ve acquired to assume much more to be able to end a lap and attempt to comprise a bit extra my will to push extraordinarily laborious in these qualifyings, as a result of it simply would not work out on these on these tracks.
“At this time I attempted to try this, it was working fairly high-quality in Q3, nevertheless I misplaced the automobile in Flip 10, and from that second, it was very tough to complete my lap.”
Leclerc defined that for circuits like Mexico, being extra circumspect on a qualifying lap could be a profit to restrict the quantity of sliding – though reckons this won’t be an issue in Sunday’s race.
He added that on reflection, giving up his seat to Oliver Bearman in FP1 might need hindered him barely – though conceded that he may not lend a hand had the weekend been extra fortuitous so far.
“You slide rather a lot, simply because there’s very, very low grip. You’ve got simply acquired to be a bit bit much less on the restrict on these tracks and I struggled a bit extra to try this.
“Nevertheless, for the race tempo, it would not appear to be a difficulty. It wasn’t a difficulty in Monza, I do not assume it will likely be a difficulty tomorrow, so on that I am rather a lot much less fearful. However in quali it’s kind of tough.
“I believe [having FP1] at all times helps, particularly on a tough weekend for me. On the finish, it hasn’t damage my efficiency a lot.
“It has been a tough weekend so in fact, when it is like this, you need FP1, however we could not have identified earlier than.”
