The driver Charles Leclerc expressed his doubts about the possibility of replicating his emotional victory at the Italian Grand Prix the previous year, considering that external factors would be crucial to achieve it this Sunday.
Leclerc, who achieved fourth place in qualifying for Sunday’s race, faces a significant challenge at Monza, the emblematic circuit for Ferrari and its fans.
Although he has won twice for Ferrari at Monza, in 2019 and 2024, the presence of Max Verstappen in the pole position and the McLaren drivers, who are also competing for the championship, pose a considerable obstacle.
I think in terms of pure pace, unfortunately, we don’t have any chance.
Charles Leclerc
Leclerc acknowledged the superiority of McLaren and Red Bull in terms of race pace, but highlighted the importance of the start and the top speed of his car.
Recalling the surprises in previous years, such as Pierre Gasly’s victory in 2020 and Daniel Ricciardo’s in 2021, Leclerc reiterated his skepticism.
Yes, here are some special races. Again, I will believe in it until the end and we will see what is possible. But, in terms of pure pace, I don’t think it’s possible.
Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc logró el cuarto lugar en la clasificación para el Gran Premio de Italia y duda de poder ganar la carrera del domingo.Furthermore, Leclerc showed caution regarding the presence of Mercedes drivers, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, who will start from the third row.
Leclerc emphasized that reaching the podium would be an achievement, considering the difficulty in terms of pace.
During the session, Leclerc was only 0.1 seconds behind Verstappen in Q3, but he couldn’t improve his time while others did.
Ferrari’s tactics generated controversy in the final moments of qualifying.
Lewis Hamilton, who qualified one position behind Leclerc, will start from tenth position due to a five-place grid penalty.
In Monza, a circuit known for its long straights, Ferrari chose not to use Hamilton to provide Leclerc with an aerodynamic tow.
Leclerc seemed to allude to this in his statements.
The driver stated that he feels satisfied for having maximized the car’s performance in qualifying, highlighting his good performance in the first lap of Q3.
When asked about the possibility of Hamilton helping Leclerc, he replied that it had not been decided that way.
Leclerc added that they will discuss the situation with the team, acknowledging that it’s complicated to get it right and that Hamilton is still struggling to move up the grid.
When Hamilton was asked about the possibility of helping Leclerc, the driver replied that he did not think it was necessary.
Hamilton explained that he had not used that tactic in other teams and that, in his situation, he needed to accumulate as many points as possible.
