Penalized at Spa, Leclerc bides his time in the race

The weekend had not yet started and it was already compromised for Charles Leclerc. Victim of the lack of reliability of his mount throughout the season, the pilot of the Team has chosen to equip itself with a new power unit for the Belgian Grand Prix to give itself some fresh air. The Monegasque will therefore have to start at the back of the grid, just like his rival Max Verstappen and 4 other drivers on the grid (nb. countdown before Free Practice 3).

If victory already seems out of reach, Charles Leclerc does not worry about it. Second in Free Practice 2, the Monegasque was satisfied at the end of the first day of practice. “Overall, it wasn’t too bad a day., said the Scuderia pilot. We tested quite a few things, I think everyone was on a very different program, so very difficult to compare on this first day after the summer break. Overall the feeling was pretty good. » 

This Belgian weekend, Leclerc's program differs from usual: on Friday, the emphasis was placed on race simulations and long relays. The Ferrari driver hopes to move back more easily to the top of the peloton in the race on Sunday with a F1-75 set for racing. “ The pace on low fuel seems to be low, but with a car loaded with gas it seems to be just fine, detailed the championship runner-up. We will continue to work, try to make progress overnight and come back stronger tomorrow. (…) Let's say that we didn't put as much attention as usual on the qualifying pace because that would be a bit useless. »

Leclerc aims for the race, Sainz first for qualifying

On the other side of the garage, Carlos Sainz has a real opportunity to win on Sunday, with the two championship leaders out of contention for pole. Best time in FP1 but only 5th in FP2, the Spaniard was happy with his pace but admitted he and the team needed to find more against the Red Bull. “Honestly, today I was comfortable and happy with the car. I was very happy with the car in FP1. In FP2 we made some changes that we knew were perhaps not going in the right direction. If you give me the car from FP1 again, I'm pretty sure we can be on the pace tomorrow [Saturday]. »

Carlos Sainz also believes that the Ferraris are better than the Red Bulls on long runs, which could favor him in the race if he qualifies well. Victorious at Silverstone, will the Madrilenian be able to repeat the feat? We know that the Grands Prix are never as unpredictable as at Spa-Francorchamps... and despite his disadvantageous position on the grid, Charles Leclerc could well have his card to play on Sunday.

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