Charles Leclerc reveals key to success in new F1 era after honing Ferrari upgrades

Charles Leclerc believes that performance optimisation of an overall car package, rather than just purely adding upgrades, will be the key to Formula 1 form this season.

Ferrari brought a huge package to the Miami GP, with 11 aero changes declared. While it has some impact and was competitive enough for Leclerc to lead the early stages of the race, he believes that there’s more to come by getting the most out of the package.

Ferrari has had two weeks since Miami during which to do just that by working with the data acquired with the revised SF-26. FP1 in Montreal indicated that the work had paid off when Lewis Hamilton and Leclerc led the chase of Mercedes, albeit a significant margin behind the pacesetters.

“I think a lot about these cars is optimising,” said Leclerc when asked by Crash.net if the team had expected more from the Miami package.

“I mean, if I look a little bit doing a step back on the performance of each team, I don't fully believe that it's all down to the upgrades that each team have brought, the step that we've seen.

“I really think that, for example, if we look at Red Bull, I think Red Bull was very strong during the winter test, and then there were these first three races, where, as soon as you are not exactly optimised, you lose a lot of performance.

“And I felt like in Miami they did a massive step on that; on top of the upgrades they brought. So I think it's very difficult to have a good picture of how much the upgrades are doing.”

Regarding Ferrari’s situation, he said: “One thing for sure is that every week we spend at the factory working on the new parts, there are big gains, and much bigger than in the past.

“So it's going to be super important to be on top of upgrades, but whether we did a smaller step compared to the others, I don't believe so.

“I just think that we are still in a moment of the season where teams are just figuring out how to maximise the whole system, which is very, very complex, and I think you will never arrive to the 100% optimisation with these kind of cars, because there's also the driving, which is variable, and will always be, so that will be tricky.”

Meanwhile, after this weekend’s race, the first assessment of PU performance under FIA’s new ADUO or Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities system will be made, with Ferrari widely expected to get some help given the differential to the pacesetters.

Asked if it would be enough to close the gap to Mercedes, Leclerc was doubtful.

“I think it's going to be very difficult,” he said. “I think they have a very big advantage, and ADUO, I obviously don't know yet if we are in. I'll be surprised if not, because I can see sometimes in the straight that we are lacking a little bit compared to the Mercedes, or even the Ford power unit.

“I think it will definitely be a help to try and get closer, whether it will be enough to close the gap, I don't know. It also depends which level we get, and if we get it at all. But surely, if we get it, it will be a help to get closer.”