Leclerc: “We’ve been missing something for 2–3 races and we don’t understand why”
Few expectations
After the Qatar Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc made it clear that he did not want to raise his hopes for Abu Dhabi, admitting he had very little confidence in ending the year on the podium. And the fears of the 28-year-old Ferrari driver seemed to materialize on Friday at Yas Marina, where he wrapped up the day in eighth place, more than half a second behind championship leader Lando Norris.
In FP1, Charles Leclerc at least enjoyed the rare opportunity to share the garage and the track with his brother Arthur. “Unfortunately that was the only positive part of the day, because everything else was just a struggle,” Charles Leclerc said with obvious frustration.
Leclerc’s analysis
Speaking to Formula 1’s international broadcast after the session, the Monegasque driver went into more detail about Ferrari’s situation: “I don’t have much hope, or at least not yet. We are trying everything, but unfortunately there is something that has been missing for two or three races and I don’t really understand where it has gone. We’re doing everything we can to figure it out and I hope we can find a solution before tomorrow’s qualifying.”
With the season almost over, Ferrari still lacks a clear understanding of how to fix the recurring weaknesses of the SF-25. “I’m pretty happy that this is the last Friday of the year, especially considering how things are going at the moment. But I would like to finish strongly, and it doesn’t look like we will finish strongly if we continue like this. I will still do my best,” Charles Leclerc concluded at the end of the second free practice session for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, sounding disheartened on the eve of his 150th Grand Prix with Ferrari.
For now, the Prancing Horse heads into the night still searching for the missing piece that vanished weeks ago, with time rapidly running out to salvage pride in the Abu Dhabi desert.
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