Charles Leclerc gives verdict on new SF-23 floor and confirms “we are not far away from Red Bull”. Charles Leclerc gives verdict on new SF-23 floor at Suzuka.

Steady Progress
It’s only Friday, but at Ferrari, it seems that the good mood from post-Singapore has not been lost; quite the opposite. The Maranello team didn’t manage to top the first two free practice sessions, held at Suzuka in the early Italian morning, but the SF-23 still delivered on the iconic Japanese track. Carlos Sainz, in fact, was the second-fastest driver in the morning session, with Charles Leclerc in fourth place. In FP2, the positions between the two Ferrari drivers reversed. Max Verstappen, indicated by Leclerc himself as the obvious favorite for this weekend, came out on top.

“Red Bull seems to be very fast this weekend, but I don’t think we are that far away,” warned the Monegasque driver. “I believe that in the last few races, our understanding of the car has improved, and we are always very close to McLaren and Mercedes. We’ve been ahead in the last few races, and that’s what we want to do tomorrow. But even if we do everything perfectly this weekend, I expect Red Bull to be in front.”

New floor and a new driving style
Charles Leclerc also tested the new underfloor today, and he expressed overall positive comments: “It has given us what we expected in terms of consistency, and that’s a good thing,” said Charles Leclerc. “For now, it doesn’t seem to add much in terms of performance, but it’s early, and we are continuing to progress with the car. In the last two or three races, we have learned a lot. Now we need to put everything together as we did in Singapore. It seems that we are closer to our rivals than expected, so I consider this day quite positive.” – he pointed out.

The #16 from Maranello then revealed that today he tried to adapt his driving style more to the ‘new’ characteristics of the SF-23. A choice that, according to the Monegasque, is starting to pay off: “We tried different solutions on my car to have slightly better comfort sensations,” explained Charles Leclerc. “I am satisfied with the results. We need to confirm these levels tomorrow. In the last few races, I had struggled a bit with the car’s balance. Today, I changed my driving style a bit, and the car came my way. The feeling is better, but it’s only the first day,” the Ferrari man concluded at the end of the second free practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix.