Charles Leclerc does not think a change of tire will 'help or hurt' Ferrari

Charles Leclerc stated that he was uncertain if the new 2023 tires would 'help' or 'hurt' Ferrari going into this season.

The Italian team took a big step up in the 2022 season and competed for the constructor's championship with Red Bull for two-thirds of the season. However, they were unable to sustain the challenge and eventually settled for P2 in the championship.

One of the many reasons behind their failed championship challenge was their heavy tire degradation during the races, which comprised of their performance. Speaking to Motorsport.com, Charles Leclerc said:

“We already tried them a little bit in Abu Dhabi last year. It feels like it’s a stronger front tire, so this can modify a bit the balance. But it’s actually pretty easy to shadow that with the car and balance it in the other direction for it to be basically a transparent change. So, I don’t think it will have a big effect."

He added:

“In terms of degradation, yeah maybe it’s a bit of a stronger front tire. But for us, last year, it wasn’t always the same issue when we were speaking about tire degradation. Sometimes it was the front, sometimes it was the rear.

He further said:

“It was more the way we managed those tires and the way we thought the degradation was going to go, and on that, we have done a lot of work, which I think we are better than last year. But again, I don’t think the change of tires will help us or hurt us in any way.”

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"The goal is to win, clearly" - Charles Leclerc on his 2023 target

Charles Leclerc led the 2022 title fight for some time before a compilation of his own and Ferrari's mistakes derailed his championship bid. He eventually finished in P2 more than 150 points behind Max Verstappen.

Speaking to the BBC, he said:

"The goal is to win, clearly. I am really looking forward to getting back in the car and trying to win that championship. Last year was a good step forward. We need to do just the same this year and hopefully get that championship. That is the target for the team and for me, too - get more wins, hopefully be more consistent from the first race to the last race."

It would be fascinating to see if Charles Leclerc and Ferrari can mount another title bid in 2023 and minimize their mistakes this year.