If one were to assess the real possibility of seeing Adrian Newey at Ferrari solely based on Charles Leclerc’s facial expressions, one might bet on a positive outcome with a fair amount of serenity.
Perhaps Charles’s is just a concrete hope or a desire that seems to find confirmation (positively) in the growing conviction of the paddock. Leclerc began the usual Thursday press conference by answering questions about Ferrari’s future (Newey, of course) before shifting to the present, namely the Miami weekend.
“Newey at Ferrari? I would obviously be very happy about it – Charles immediately clarified – I believe Adrian is one of those people you hope to work with at some point in your career. Today, we can say we have a very good team; in the last seven to eight months, we are the team that has confirmed the most progress, and adding Adrian to our group would be fantastic. We know he is an engineer who can make a difference. Fred has always shared his vision of the team with me in the medium and long term, and I have done the same with him. I’m really happy with how things are going; we are in a good position and we can attract the best people in the world.”
While awaiting news of Newey’s future, what’s certain is his departure from Red Bull. A departure that could already influence the field.
“When the news became official, I was a bit surprised – Charles Leclerc admitted – I didn’t expect it. Will it weaken Red Bull? In every team, there are many people involved, but some figures can make more of a difference than others, and I believe Adrian is definitely part of this small group. His professional path speaks for itself; he has been able to achieve very important goals in all the teams he has worked for. But of course, I don’t have an internal view of the team (Red Bull), so it’s difficult to comment; I can only say that Adrian is an engineer that everyone in the paddock would like to have on their team.”
Aside from an intriguing future, there is a present with different ambitions but still important for the standings, the team’s morale, and Charles Leclerc himself. Analysis after the Shanghai weekend confirmed that the major problem in China was related to slow corners.
“That’s where we lost the most time – Charles Leclerc confirmed – we know this weakness and we believe that part of the solution should come with the upcoming updates. However, we also have the opportunity to correct part of the problem with the setup and general management of the car, and this is work that will be done starting from free practice.”
In the double qualifying session in Miami, Charles Leclerc will likely have a small ally: the high temperatures that should remain constant throughout the entire weekend.
“It’s a factor that will help us – Charles Leclerc confirmed – on this track, it’s quite difficult to put the correct energy into the tires to have them ready for the qualifying lap. I don’t think the heat will completely compensate for the characteristics of the track, but I’ve dedicated a lot of time to this aspect; in Shanghai, I made some progress and continued to work on it even after China.”
Last year in Miami, Charles Leclerc experienced one of the most challenging weekends of the season, with two off-track excursions at turn 7, in free practice and qualifying.
“I can say that the situation we were in in 2023 was very different – he explained – the unpredictability of the car was a nightmare, but we managed to make great strides. This year the car is definitely more predictable, especially when the wind direction changes, we are in a better position, then the rules of the game could change with the updates that, hopefully, will arrive as soon as possible. The package of updates will tell us what goals we can aim for in the remaining part of the championship.” – the Ferrari driver concluded.
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