'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Charles Leclerc has revealed that he struggled with race management throughout the last few years at Ferrari, despite his good qualifying performances. The Monegasque is hoping for a more balanced performance across qualifying and racing in the upcoming season.
Speaking in a post-season interview with GPFans, the Ferrari driver said:
“Since early 2020, race management was one of my weaknesses, especially after 2019 where I had a lot of good qualifyings but then in the race, I was struggling a bit more. We were struggling a bit more as a team but also as a driver I could feel I was struggling more than others, so I put a lot of work into it.”
Speaking about the causes behind his race management struggle and how he aims to overcome it, Leclerc said:
“Maybe a balance from my qualifying to the race that I probably didn’t find yet and sometimes I sacrifice my qualifying a little bit more to be better in the race as we have seen a few times. It is a balance I am trying to work on to try and get the perfect balance between quali and the race.”
The 24-year-old was one of the few drivers other than the frontrunners to take the top spot in qualifying last season. The Monegasque, however, was unable to convert any of his pole positions into race victories.
Coupled with Ferrari not being on par with Red Bull and Mercedes in terms of pure performance, Leclerc struggled with race pace at certain venues. Furthermore, he also tended to crash frequently during practice sessions while trying to find the limit of the car, often compromising precious track time that could have been used for preparations.
Despite a few stellar performances, including at the British Grand Prix, Leclerc was overhauled in the driver’s standings by his new teammate Carlos Sainz Jr.
Ferrari targeting regular race wins in 2022 after two difficult winless seasons
Ferrari’s last victory came at the 2019 Singapore Grand Prix when Sebastian Vettel cheekily beat then-teammate Charles Leclerc to take his 53rd race win. Since then, the Maranello-based outfit has endured two winless seasons, for only the second time in its decorated history in F1.
After a miserable 2020 season when the outfit was relegated to the lower end of the field by a tightened engine regulation, the Scuderia fought back to clinch P3 in the constructors last season.
With the arrival of sweeping aerodynamic regulations and armed with an improved and potentially superior power unit, Ferrari is once again hoping to fight for race wins and podiums regularly.
