Charles Leclerc believes that Ferrari is on the right track in terms of wanting an improved strategy and better performance in the fight against Red Bull.
The Scuderia got off to a good start in 2022, but was unable to really get involved in the World Cup fight, mainly due to tactical mistakes and poor reliability.
As the World Championship seemed increasingly unlikely as the season progressed, Ferrari put the focus in the final races of the season on preparing for 2023, wanting to make better pit stops and better strategic decisions.
Although the F1-75 still cannot keep up with the improvements that Red Bull is showing between qualifying and the race, Leclerc sees Ferrari on the right track.
“I still think Red Bull will be the team to beat on Sunday,” he said at Thursday’s press conference. “They always seem to find something from Saturday to Sunday that we haven’t quite found yet. But we’re getting there.”
Leclerc is still fighting for second place in the drivers’ championship
However, Leclerc emphasizes that he primarily means the execution on Sundays, not the performance itself.
“For a few races we’ve been working a lot on the strategy and also on communication. We’re taking steps in the right direction, but there’s still the performance gap to Red Bull that we have to find,” said the Monegasse.
“But we’re working on that too. We haven’t found the solution yet, but we’re working well. And if we focus on one thing, then we usually improve it very quickly,” says the Ferrari driver. “So I am confident that the results will come soon.”
In the World Championship, Leclerc is still fighting for second place among the drivers. He currently holds that spot too, although Sergio Pérez is just two points behind him.