Formula 1

Leclerc confident in Ferrari’s tire-saving strategy

Published

3 weeks ago

04/03/2023

Leclerc confident in Ferrari tire-saving strategy bahrain F1 2023

Charles Leclerc has expressed confidence in Ferrari’s decision to skip the final run in qualifying at the Bahrain Grand Prix, despite losing a position on the starting grid.

Leclerc is confident that Ferrari made the correct decision by not participating in the final run in order to conserve their tires.

Charles Leclerc is of the opinion that Ferrari’s choice to skip the final run in qualifying was the correct one, even though it resulted in him losing a spot on the starting grid.

During the first runs in Q3, Leclerc was in second place behind Max Verstappen. However, he decided to exit his car and not participate in the final runs, despite having a new set of soft tires at his disposal.

As Leclerc stayed in the pits, Sergio Perez was able to improve his lap time during the final run, which pushed the Ferrari driver down to third place on the starting grid.

Ferrari has confirmed that the team made a deliberate choice not to send Leclerc out for the final run, as they wanted to preserve a new set of tires.

Leclerc mentioned that Ferrari’s race pace is not as competitive as their rivals Red Bull and Aston Martin, and by saving a new set of tires, they will have a better chance in the race.

Leclerc acknowledged the reality of Ferrari’s current situation, stating to the media, including F1Lead in the post-qualifying press conference, that Red Bull and Aston Martin appear to have better race pace.

Leclerc explained that Ferrari’s decision to forego the final run was a strategic move to potentially sacrifice a couple of positions at the start of the race, but gain an advantage with fresh tires. He believes this was the correct decision, but acknowledges that only time will tell how effective this strategy will be in the race.

After stepping out of the car, Leclerc expressed his satisfaction with Ferrari’s qualifying pace, stating that it was a pleasant surprise for the team. He also believes that there was a possibility for him to secure pole position.

Leclerc admitted that he did not anticipate Ferrari’s strong performance in qualifying, especially after the challenging test and free practice sessions. He was pleased with their ability to find pace for the qualifying lap.

Leclerc also mentioned that Ferrari is still lagging behind Red Bull in terms of race pace. He believes that starting in third place with fresh tires is a better option for them, rather than starting in first with used tires. While he is unsure whether or not he could have secured pole position, he thinks it would have been a close call.

Leclerc confident in Ferrari’s tire-saving strategy Leclerc confident in Ferrari’s tire-saving strategy Leclerc confident in Ferrari’s tire-saving strategy