[ad_1]
(Motorsport-Total.com) – Nobody expected that: Charles Leclerc placed the Ferrari SF1000 in fifth place in the classification for the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix (on the live ticker!). “I’m over the moon with this round!” He says. Which makes it even more incredible: He drove 1: 16,270 minutes on a set of used tires!
© Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc outperformed himself in the Mugello ranking Focus
The seat in row three, everyone agrees, was beyond the capabilities of the car. Of course, Monegasse benefited from Esteban Ocon’s yellow flag at the end of the session. But the time and the starting position are there for now, at a time not exactly easy for Ferrari.
“Monza and Spa were pretty tough on our team. I had big problems with the low downforce setup,” says Leclerc. “With little downforce it was very difficult to find a balance. But here we struck the right balance.”
He expressly praises the Ferrari SF1000, which has already received so much criticism: “It felt great in the cockpit. We just miss the overall performance to be at the forefront. But the balance was good and it gave me confidence. So I was able to give it my all. better of me in the qualifying round. “
Stronger running pace not assured
While his teammate Sebastian Vettel, already on the sidelines of Ferrari, did not make it past Q2, Leclerc outdid himself. Was it because of the experience gained during the day of the movie?
The 22-year-old rejects it: “I think that helps in the first free practice. We were also very competitive there. But after that … These are Formula 1 drivers and they figure it out pretty quickly. So I don’t think so. is that there is still a great advantage. “
After the overall race pace at Ferrari looked better compared to qualifying, something could happen from P5. But since the blanket ban on “party mode”, which Ferrari had been deprived of in qualifying all season, this is no longer set in stone.
So Leclerc cautions: “On the one hand, it’s a good opportunity. But if you look at the race pace of the other teams on Friday, there were some teams that were stronger than us. It will be difficult to get them behind me. Wait. But that one. It’s my job, so I’ll do my best. “
After all, they are 1,000. Racing for Ferrari and a podium would be a great result in the current situation.
