Despite Being Pipped to Victory, Charles Leclerc Won’t Change His Driving Style to Beat Carlos Sainz

Charles Leclerc, often seen as the star driver of Ferrari, surprisingly couldn’t secure a win in the recent Singapore Grand Prix. Leclerc was forced to play a supporting role for teammate Carlos Sainz. In his frustration, he admitted that it seemed like his only goal from the first round was to defend Sainz. However, The Monegasque has made it clear that he does not intend to change his driving style.

Carlos Sainz won the Singapore Grand Prix, ending Red Bull’s winless streak this season. Sainz led from start to finish, withstood pressure from the fan base, and held on for his second career win. He finished 0.812 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and almost half a second behind Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

Red Bull had a disappointing performance, with Max Verstappen fifth from 11th on the grid and Sergio Perez finishing eighth after starting from 13th. This marked the end of Red Bull’s 15-race winning streak

However, Sainz has been realistic about the team’s prospects. The Spaniard said that they adapted well to the high-downforce configuration in Singapore but warned that there would be other tracks where they might struggle.

Charles Leclerc’s oversteer preference

Charles Leclerc, the Ferrari driver, recently spoke about his teammate Carlos Sainz’s victory in Singapore and the challenges he faced while adapting to the Ferrari SF-23. Leclerc mentioned that the car understeers, but he prefers oversteering as it pays off more in the long run.

Talking about this, Leclerc stated, “But I won’t completely change my driving style in the long term: I’m convinced that oversteer is faster in the long run.” Leclerc said that he believes that oversteer is faster in the long run and is unwilling to compromise his driving style for a temporary fix.

Ferrari’s chances in Suzuka

Looking ahead, Ferrari is cautiously optimistic about the upcoming race in the Suzuka. The team acknowledges that they will face a resurgence of Red Bull but are also aware of the significant improvements they have made since the summer break.

Ferrari is struggling to replicate its original 2022 look with the SF-23 and opted to change car concepts after the Spanish Grand Prix when it became clear its development style would offer no performance benefits. However, the team’s recent win in Singapore provided a positive takeaway. The team hopes that they can build on this success.

Team principal Fred Vasser has kept a low profile in anticipation of Japan Week. He insisted that Ferrari would not change the strategy after the recent race. The team knows they must start from scratch like every other race at Suzuka.