Leclerc, a renowned driver in Formula 1, is highly skilled at qualifying and is known for his unexpected last-minute laps during qualifying sessions. This can be attributed to his aggressive driving style.
However, recently Ferrari has faced challenges with their car upgrades, particularly with the SF-24 model. The upgrades have resulted in the car bouncing more, which has proven to be a difficult aspect to develop and improve upon in the current generation of F1 cars. Red Bull’s technical director, Pierre Wache, also acknowledged this issue.
As a consequence, Leclerc has encountered difficulties and has become more prone to making errors. He discussed this matter with Motorsport.com, stating, “From Spain onwards, I believe this was the turning point when we introduced something on the car. The data supported it, as I have always maintained. However, it caused significant bouncing issues that we have been struggling with. Personally, I took a very aggressive approach in the last four races, particularly with the car’s setup, in an attempt to find solutions.”
Leclerc has always strived to push his limits and achieve the smallest of advantages. However, when the car is bouncing, it becomes more unpredictable and requires a larger margin of error. This approach does not align with Leclerc’s usual strategy, resulting in him paying a higher price when such issues arise.
Nevertheless, Leclerc does not believe that this was the main issue in the recent races. Instead, he attributes the lack of performance to pushing the car to extreme limits in order to gain a better understanding. The bouncing of the car has created inconsistencies and made it more challenging for the team.
In the 2024 F1 Constructors’ Championship, Leclerc currently holds the third position with 177 points. He is 22 points behind Lando Norris in second place, while Max Verstappen leads the standings with 277 points.
Photo from Charles Leclerc Instagram
