“Would have been the quickest overall”– Charles Leclerc opines that there has been a massive upgrade in Ferrari’s pace and stability.
Ferrari had one of the worst seasons of its history in 2020, and to recover from that, Ferrari has asked for time, and 2021 already has shown some positive signs.
This year Ferrari managed to gain pace on the straights, which was their drawback last year. According to Charles Leclerc, the pace is excellent, as he could have been the fastest driver of the day.
“I was pleased with my quick lap,” the Ferrari driver said after the end of the two one-hour sessions. “The time that was cancelled because of a couple of centimetres would have been quickest overall.”
“Even over a long run, I think we have found a good balance,” he added. “The car is quick, the balance is good, and I felt at ease immediately.”
Apologies accepted?
Leclerc soon barged into the wall and later apologized for his behaviour, but till then, Leclerc was having an impressive performance of the track.
“This afternoon, I made a mistake while pushing flat out in race trim. I’m sorry for the guys, but at least there were only two minutes to go,” he said.
“This was definitely a good day, despite the time lost in the first session and the incident just at the end of the second one,” he insisted. “The track is really great, and I can’t wait to get back in the car tomorrow for qualifying when I think a good result can be within our grasp.”
“It was an important day for me as I was looking forward to driving the car for the first time somewhere other than Bahrain!” he said. “The different corners, tarmac, temperatures, etc., made it an interesting day.
“It seems we could be a bit more competitive this weekend,” he mused. “In general, the feeling with the car was positive as the conditions suit us better.
“You can feel some more grip, and I am enjoying it out there, building up the confidence lap by lap trying to find the limit around the entire track.
“I’m not quite there yet, but today was a good start to the weekend, and we still have FP3 to fine-tune everything ahead of qualifying tomorrow.”
