Leclerc left puzzled in Shanghai as Mercedes shows blistering traction out of Turn 12, exposing a critical weakness in Ferrari’s pace.
Charles Leclerc had a sharp observation during the Chinese Grand Prix — and it had everything to do with Mercedes’ raw power out of the corners.
During a heated radio exchange with his race engineer, the Ferrari driver compared the Mercedes W16 to a dragster, specifically pointing to its explosive acceleration exiting Turn 12 at the Shanghai International Circuit.
While Ferrari enjoyed an early highlight that weekend — with Lewis Hamilton giving the team a Sprint win on Saturday — Sunday’s main race told a different story. The SF-25 struggled to match the pace of both the McLaren MCL39 and the Mercedes.
“The Mercedes is like a dragster out of Turn 12. Unbelievable. Their traction is just insane,” Leclerc radioed in mid-race, clearly frustrated by the gap.
Leclerc Stunned as Mercedes Gains 0.5s in 3 Corners
That section of the track — Turns 11, 12, and 13 — leads directly into one of the longest straights in Formula 1. According to Leclerc, Mercedes was able to pull away by as much as half a second in just those few corners.
When asked to explain his comment after the race, Leclerc clarified: “What I meant by ‘dragster’ is that their traction out of Turn 12 was just insanely good.”
“I think we were stronger overall throughout the lap, but in Turns 11 and 12, they were flying.”
“I’m not sure exactly how much quicker they were — maybe around five tenths in those three corners — but that was enough for them to pull ahead. After that, even though I was quicker into Turn 14, I had no real chance to attack.”
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Leclerc: “Mercedes F1 Feels Like a Dragster Out There”
Leclerc: “Mercedes F1 Feels Like a Dragster Out There”
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