Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has highlighted the early-season struggles the team faced with consistency in their performances. During the Spanish Grand Prix, Ferrari introduced significant upgrades to their SF-23 car. However, Leclerc encountered a mysterious issue that affected his performance throughout the weekend. Fortunately, the issue seemed to have resolved itself in the subsequent race.
Leclerc attributed their improved consistency to a different setup direction that the team adopted, addressing a problem they had been grappling with earlier in the season. He explained that the team experienced difficulties transitioning from the Medium tire, which provided acceptable performance, to the Soft or Hard tires, where the car’s performance would significantly deteriorate.
By exploring a new setup approach, Leclerc felt more comfortable and gained enhanced consistency across all tire compounds. This development played a crucial role in Ferrari’s ability to execute a successful one-stop strategy during the race. Despite a disappointing qualifying session, Leclerc managed to recover and secure an impressive fourth-place finish. The team capitalized on an early Safety Car deployment, opting to keep both drivers on a one-stop strategy.
This strategic decision allowed Ferrari to establish a substantial gap over their midfield competitors, who had opted for a two-stop strategy. The only other drivers on a one-stop strategy were Alex Albon and Valtteri Bottas. Ferrari’s recent weakness in managing tire wear posed a challenge in previous races. However, Leclerc credited the team’s competitiveness showcased during Friday’s practice sessions across all tire compounds as a contributing factor to their successful aggressive strategy.
The improved consistency and strategic choices demonstrated Ferrari’s progress and their ability to adapt to challenging circumstances. As the season progresses, the team will aim to build on this momentum and continue their pursuit of strong performances on the Formula 1 circuit.
