Charles Leclerc aims to "put pressure" on Mercedes in China

Historically, the Chinese Grand Prix has always been quite successful in Lewis HamiltonHowever, smiles were indeed seen on both sides of the garage upon the arrival of the two drivers. Classic Ferrari for sale in Shanghai. In preparation for the Chinese Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc He wanted to appear confident on this occasion, even though the one-lap time trial stage is not yet in the team's favor. F1 red, according to him.

“In qualifying, we still have a lot of work to do to reverse the advantage they’ve gained. Eight tenths in Melbourne is huge,” he emphasized this on Thursday, March 12I don't expect to be much closer here. We will be closer, though. There are things we'll optimize here that we didn't optimize in Melbourne. In the race, we're closer. I hope that from this weekend onwards, we can put them under pressure.

Is Ferrari close to finding a solution in China?

Noting the importance of the first – and only – practice session of the weekend, Charles Leclerc seemed particularly ambitious about Ferrari's ability to find the keys to its own success in Shanghai. “Last year, a single Free Practice session wasn’t a big problem. Not mastering the entire package meant losing one or two tenths of a second. This year, being suboptimal in the setup would mean losing five or six tenths of a second.” the Monegasque specified"Maybe even seven. It will be all the more important to do a good job in FP1, to be ready in sprint qualifying, all of this to achieve the best possible result."

Finally, the biggest challenge of this new Chinese Grand Prix seems to remain, once again, electrical management. Although the Melbourne track layout is truly unsuitable for the new F1 regulations, it appears that the long straight at the end of the Shanghai circuit represents the ultimate challenge for the competing teams. Will this be enough to make the difference for Scuderia Ferrari?

“We have an idea! There are always scenarios where you’re not fully prepared. The battle on the track, anticipating what your opponent will do, anticipating when they’ll use their boost… As competitors, we’ll want to surprise the others.”

To begin the work on track, Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, and the twenty other drivers on the grid will meet at 4:30 am (French time) for Free Practice 1.

ALSO READ > Fernando Alonso realistic in Shanghai: "I don't believe the situation was this dramatic ten years ago."