This weekend, Ferrari brought a new upgrade to the SF-25. This upgrade was meant to take Ferrari back to consistent podiums in Formula 1 this season. However, they were seconds off the top 3 during the Sprint Race at Spa. Despite finishing 4th, Charles Leclerc says there is still a lot of work to do with just half the season to go.
Both Hamilton and Leclerc have had mixed results this weekend so far. While Leclerc managed to crack the top 4, Hamilton remained at the back of the field, unable to make moves through the field. After the Sprint race, Leclerc was extremely frustrated, stating that they cannot accept the situation they are in.
Charles Leclerc and Ferrari look to push and turn things around
Here’s what Charles Leclerc had to say after the Sprint Race at Spa, where he finished P4:
“I don’t feel any particular way. Unfortunately, this is the situation we are in at the moment, and it’s been a long time that we’ve realized it. We’re not accepting that situation — we are pushing like crazy to try and turn things around.”
“But when there’s such a gap between a team and ourselves — I mean, McLaren and Red Bull are still pushing to develop the car — and so we came with an upgrade, but they also came with another upgrade. That means it’s very difficult to catch back.”
“So at the moment, it’s where we are, and I don’t think we could have done anything better today.”
During the Sprint Race, Leclerc managed to overtake Norris on the opening lap. However, he wasn’t able to stay close to Piastri ahead. As soon as the Monegasque was out of the DRS zone, Norris managed to get back in front of Charles. After this, the Ferrari driver was in no man’s zone. He was neither close to the car ahead nor to the cars behind. This left him understandably frustrated.
With a team like Ferrari, the expectation is to win the Championship. However, the team has not won a single title since the 2008 season. But Leclerc is not willing to do nothing about it.
Charles Leclerc could turn things around at the Belgian Grand Prix
Although P4 is not a bad position, Leclerc is looking to at least finish on the podium at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday. After the Qualifying session on Saturday, where he qualified P3, he has a very good chance to get on the podium, maybe even a win under the right circumstances.
Considering that the Belgian Grand Prix is scheduled to be a wet race, the gap to the McLarens could be less than anticipated for the Monegasque driver. But there is also Max Verstappen starting in P4 right behind Leclerc. As we have witnessed many times before, we can never count out the 4-time Champion for anything. So Leclerc will have to defend against him as well.
Charles should also have the momentum with him on the opening lap as he will get the slipstream from one or both McLarens starting ahead. The run from turn 1 to turn 5 is a long one, going through Eau Rouge. It will be interesting to see how the race plays out for Charles Leclerc tomorrow.
