Charles Leclerc has acknowledged that Scuderia Ferrari faces a significant challenge in finding competitive pace following a difficult Friday practice session at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend. After missing Free Practice 1, the Ferrari driver returned for FP2 but found the car’s performance lacking compared to key rivals.
Leclerc missed the first practice session in Brazil, with rookie driver Dino Beganovic stepping in for the initial running. Upon his return for Free Practice 2, Leclerc finished seventh, trailing the fastest time set by Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli by seven-tenths of a second. The Monegasque described the session as one of the worst feelings he has experienced in the car this year, highlighting the gap Ferrari needs to close to match the pace of Mercedes and McLaren.
The context of this performance comes after a stronger showing in Mexico, where Lewis Hamilton secured pole position and finished second, while Leclerc came home fourth. The intra-team battle between Leclerc and Hamilton in Mexico has since been resolved, with Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur confirming that the two drivers have held discussions to settle the matter ahead of the Sao Paulo weekend.
Leclerc’s late arrival in Brazil was due to the birth of his first child, Bianca, a personal milestone he described as a very special and positive moment. Despite this, the driver has been focused on addressing the performance issues that surfaced during Friday’s running. Ferrari is planning significant changes to the car setup in an effort to improve competitiveness for the remainder of the weekend.
The performance gap to Mercedes and McLaren was evident in practice, with Ferrari struggling to match the pace shown by their rivals. While the team showed encouraging signs in Mexico, the Sao Paulo sessions have underlined the work still required to close the deficit. Leclerc’s assessment reflects the challenges Ferrari faces in adapting their car to the conditions and extracting maximum performance.
Fred Vasseur’s confirmation of the dialogue between Hamilton and Leclerc indicates a professional approach within the team to manage on-track competition and maintain focus on their objectives. The settled intra-team situation removes distractions as Ferrari looks to find solutions to their current performance issues.
Overall, the situation after Friday’s practice sessions in Brazil highlights that Ferrari has “plenty to work on,” as Leclerc put it, to improve their pace relative to Mercedes and McLaren. The coming sessions will be crucial for the team to implement changes and assess their impact ahead of qualifying and the race.