Charles: “Confident we can be competitive again”

Charles Leclerc chilled out totally over the two weeks of the compulsory summer break: “I think it was the right thing to do so as to have the batteries fully charged for the second part of the season,” he said. “Now, all I’m thinking about is getting back in the car.”

Confident about the future. Like his team-mate, Carlos Sainz, Leclerc also talked about the complete analysis of all the data carried out after the last few races. “I think we now have a complete picture of the status of our car and I believe that we know which direction to go in. We are lacking a few tenths, but I am confident that the upgrades we will bring to the SF-24 will allow us to make the necessary step forward in terms of quality. The current Formula 1 is all about the details and that’s why I expect to regain competitiveness right from the rest of this season.” 

Training. Charles was also asked for his opinion on the effectiveness of work in the simulator for a Formula 1 driver, both at the level of video games and of those used by the teams. “I think it’s a very useful tool, for learning a new track or practicing, although I don’t think it can help you find the last tenth on track, because no matter how precise the professional simulators are, they are never the same as the real thing.”