In a challenging moment when it’s hard to extract the maximum potential from the car, every means at one’s disposal is crucial to secure as many points as possible. Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc did just that in the Sprint Race at the Brazilian Grand Prix thanks to a very clever move against Lewis Hamilton.
The Monegasque driver was engaged in a duel with the seven-time champion. Mercedes had a car that, on one hand, had a lot of downforce and thus plenty of speed in corners, but on the other hand, it struggled (quite a bit) in straight-line comparisons with rival cars. The situation was different for the Ferrari, which once again had difficulty managing the tires to the extent that Xavier Marcos repeatedly asked Charles Leclerc to control the temperatures of his soft tires to avoid excessive wear in the final stages of the Sprint Race.
Returning to Charles Leclerc’s cunning move, with three laps to go, the Monegasque driver overtook Lewis Hamilton before Turn 1, claiming fifth place. At this point, to prevent a countermove by the British driver, number 16 visibly applied the brakes at the exit of the Senna ‘S.’
In this way, Lewis Hamilton was forced to lift off the accelerator, allowing Yuki Tsunoda to get closer. The AlphaTauri driver from Japan then overtook car number 44 and finished in sixth place.
Charles Leclerc’s move once again demonstrates the Monegasque’s clarity even in challenging moments, highlighting how Ferrari must exploit every little detail to secure what ultimately is only a fifth-place finish.
🔴 Le dépassement intelligent de Leclerc avec sa Ferrari sur Hamilton hier.@Fred__18 explique que Leclerc a levé les gaz au T3 pour ralentir Hamilton qui n'a ensuite pas pris le dessus et a permis à TSU de s'approcher et de porter une attaque sur Lewis.https://t.co/d2bMKoSyQP
— Maranello Paddock (@FerrariF1FRA) November 5, 2023
Source: f1ingenerale
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