Charles Leclerc is taking a daring leaf out of Lewis Hamilton’s playbook.
Leclerc, who has faced a tough patch within Ferrari, has decided to adopt what could be considered an extreme approach to his car setup. This tactic mirrors a strategy once utilized by Lewis Hamilton during his early challenges at Mercedes. Despite promising updates in Barcelona that matched Ferrari’s expectations, unexpected bouncing issues persisted, prompting Ferrari to revert to their previous Imola-spec setup at the British Grand Prix.
Since his triumph in Monaco earlier this season, Leclerc has struggled to find his footing on the podium. Meanwhile, teammate Carlos Sainz’s third place finish in Austria has been the highlight for Ferrari post-Monte Carlo, aided by a notable skirmish between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. Leclerc, however, stands out amid this performance dip and, speaking before the Hungarian Grand Prix, he shed light on a potential cause.
He revealed that since the Spanish Grand Prix, he has been experimenting with extreme setups on the SF-24 in hopes of steering Ferrari back on track. Hamilton had similarly ventured into unconventional setups during Mercedes’ transition into the ground-effect era, occasionally seeing team-mate George Russell outperform him. “I think our rate of improvement until Monaco was really good,” Leclerc stated. “We probably made the most progress from Monza last year to Monaco this year.”
Leclerc’s journey has not been without its hurdles. In Montreal, a power unit issue dashed hopes of a strong finish. The tipping point came post-Barcelona when upgrades brought with them increased bouncing. In response, Leclerc embarked on an aggressive setup strategy to navigate these challenges, despite the cost in race results. “However, this gave us significant insights into these issues, and I believe it will propel us forward from this weekend,” Leclerc confidently added. The priority is to swiftly understand these complications with minimal races spent, now armed with better knowledge to regain competitive edge starting from the next race onward.
When probed about the prospects of Ferrari reclaiming its former glory and challenging leaders like Red Bull and Mercedes, Leclerc admitted the unpredictable nature of the competition. “Week to week, the difference among the top teams often boils down to mere fractions of a second,” he explained. Despite this, the goal is unmistakably set at maximizing their performance to levels witnessed at the beginning of the year. Crucially, Leclerc emphasized the importance of maintaining a balanced setup without overextending, especially when aiming for pole positions.
With the plan of action clearly defined, Leclerc is hopeful of a return to the frontlines provided they can have a clean race weekend. With strategies aligned to optimize each component of their racing arsenal, Ferrari looks to transform their understanding into tangible results at the Hungarian Grand Prix and beyond.
Charles Leclerc’s tactical shift to extreme setups might just be the key to revitalizing Ferrari’s competitive spirit. By embracing challenges and learning from setbacks, Leclerc is positioning himself and his team to potentially reclaim their spot among the top contenders. As racing enthusiasts watch closely, only time will unveil if these risks will yield the desired rewards.
