F1: Charles Leclerc concedes Ferrari do not understand performance
Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari walks in the Paddock during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 15, 2023 in Montreal, Quebec. Clive Mason/Getty Images/AFP
Charles Leclerc said on Thursday he and Ferrari are struggling to overcome current problems and cannot find any reason for their sluggish performance at the Spanish Grand Prix.
“To be honest, we are very far away from our expectations at the beginning of the season,” he said.
“The team is not satisfied and it’s very clear to us all.
“What gives me confidence is that there is a clear direction in where we want to work and improve and this is what makes me believe in the project.”
Leclerc and Ferrari are winless this season after seven races dominated by champion Max Verstappen and Red Bull, who have won every event.
Asked if Ferrari had found the cause of their problems at the Spanish Grand Prix where he finished 11th and team-mate Carlos Sainz 5th, he said: “No… we didn’t. To be honest, it’s the first time that this has happened in my career.
“If I look in all the left-hand corners — that’s where I was struggling. I said straightaway after qualifying and we can see that from data clearly I’m losing six-and-a-half, seven tenths in all the left-hand corners.
“But there are no real reasons for it yet so I cannot say much more.
“Qualifying in Barcelona was a very particular one. I think I wasn’t the only one to struggle then. We need to understand these things and for now we don’t have the reasons.
“So this is a little bit more worrying and that’s where we need to push and try to understand the reason of it, because obviously the feeling was really, really bad.”
