Charles Leclerc believes Ferrari stays in competition for Method 1 victory at the USA Grand Prix regardless of falling wanting Lando Norris and Max Verstappen in qualifying.
Leclerc took fourth on the grid, simply 0.09 seconds away from team-mate Carlos Sainz because the Spaniard clinched third for Sunday’s race at Austin.
The Monegasque didn’t suppose the early finish to Q3 – attributable to George Russell’s crash at Flip 19 – would have made an excessive amount of distinction to his place, feeling that third was the utmost achievable outcome and cited a “limitation” with Ferrari’s SF-24 within the opening sector.
He mentioned this made it tough to strategy Norris and Verstappen in qualifying, however defined that this was a lot much less of a problem in race trim. Additional to this, Leclerc reckoned {that a} victory remained attainable for Ferrari if it might repeat its dash race tempo – by which Sainz took second on the final lap from Norris.
“None of us have been able to going to combat with the highest two. They have been too quick, however that is additionally what we anticipated as a staff,” Leclerc defined.
“The primary sector in qualifying yesterday and in the present day, we knew now we have a limitation in our automotive in the intervening time. And not one of the set-up choices we considered would treatment that situation.
“However within the race, now we have lots much less of that situation. And in order that’s why I am a bit extra optimistic for the race.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24
Picture by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Pictures
“If we see the identical race tempo as [Saturday] morning, for positive the race win is feasible. I believe McLaren and Pink Bull more than likely will do a step ahead when it comes to automotive set-up and we have to see how a lot of a step ahead that’s on lap occasions.”
Leclerc defined that the tyre degradation that Ferrari was experiencing was “fairly balanced” and that he had discovered from being over-conservative in his sprint-race battle with Sainz that he might take extra out of the tyres.
“As a driver, you may play with whether or not you wish to have entrance degradation or rear degradation,” he defined.
“It relies upon just a little bit on the way you drive, and we’ll see how all people manages tyres tomorrow.
“For positive, [pushing earlier] relies upon additionally on our technique and what number of laps we have to do within the first stint. I’ve discovered from [the sprint], which more than likely was not the perfect situation for me [getting passed by Sainz], however we’ll attempt to make it very best [in the race].”
On Ferrari’s limitations, he added: “[In sector one] it is extra the bottoming and the precise bumps on the monitor which offset us lots and now we have a lot, we’re touching rather a lot, so this makes it very difficult for us. However it’s not the bouncing this time.”
