Charles Leclerc told the media in the Qatar paddock that he was struck by how hot and humid it is as the Middle East heads into autumn. “Two years ago, it was definitely not this hot (Note: the 2021 race was held in mid-November). The temperatures are higher than in Singapore, although especially in the evening, the humidity is similar so I’d say we’re heading for the most extreme race of the season from a physical point of view.”
Welcome back to the Sprint. The Monegasque went on to explain that he was happy about this being another Sprint event. “It’s no secret that I like this type of weekend, because every day you go out on track for something important, from qualifying on Friday to the whole of Saturday given over to the short race, before the Grand Prix itself on Sunday,” said Charles. “Having said that, I don’t think the fact I’ve always gone well on weekends with this format automatically means we will be competitive here too. As usual, we will have to work hard, making the most of the one hour of free practice and then give it our best shot for qualifying tomorrow night. The competition among the teams fighting for second place in the championship is very close and starting positions could make a big difference. In recent races, whatever the track characteristics, we have always been competitive compared to our closest rivals and we will do all we can to continue this trend, relying on the better understanding we now have of our current car package.”