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Charles Leclerc revealed that Ferrari's straight-line speed deficit against Max Verstappen's Red Bull only got worse as the Dutchman came within DRS range. Leclerc lost to Verstappen in the closing stages of the race after an epic wheel-to-wheel battle between the two championship protagonists.
Ferrari and Red Bull are the clear favorites in 2022, with Verstappen and Leclerc battling out for the second time this season in Jeddah. After missing out in Bahrain due to a fuel supply issue, the Dutchman scored his first win of the season after beating Leclerc towards the end of the race. Ferrari went with a high downforce setup, giving its drivers a faster pace through the corners, but a lower top speed in a straight line.
Speaking about his setup, Charles Leclerc said:
“I think the point where we struggled the most is whenever Max got the DRS basically because our weaknesses were just bigger, the straight-line speed difference was much bigger. We were still quick in the corners, but not enough to have that margin to cover. So from that moment onwards, it was a bit more difficult for us.”
Charles Leclerc claims yellow flag at the end of Saudi Arabian GP was "part of the game"
Charles Leclerc missed out on a second win in 2022, partially due to an unfortunate yellow flag in the closing stages of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The Monegasque driver, however, believes that such incidents are "part of the game."
A late yellow flag impeded Leclerc, forcing him to ease off the throttle in his pursuit of Verstappen. If not for the yellow flag, the 24-year-old might have gotten another chance at attacking the reigning world champion.
Speaking about the incident and his battle with the Dutchman, Leclerc said:
“I tried to have the DRS in the last corner. It worked twice but didn’t the last time. Then obviously, there was the yellow flag, the one where I could have at least had a chance to be alongside [Max Verstappen] was the one into turn 1, where I had no DRS. This was a little bit of a shame but it’s part of the game.”
Leclerc leads the drivers' championship ahead of teammate Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen. With the 2022 season having more races than ever - 23 - only time will tell if the Scuderia driver will be able to clinch his first world championship title.
