Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc feels the heavier weight of the 2022 Formula 1 challengers will make the task of keeping them under control much more difficult.
Charles and his Maranello team-mate Carlos Sainz have started the first major running in the new Ferrari F1-75 car today at the Circuit the Catalunya, which hosts the unofficial testing session in Barcelona.
The Ferrari drivers will have one and a half days in the car at the Montmelo track and then the same again at the Bahrain International Circuit in the second pre-season testing session which takes place next month, between 10 and 12.
Given the fact that all of the Formula 1 cars are radically changed this season in order to comply with the heavily revised rules and regulations, there should be some interesting action on track. Unfortunately there will be no race-style coverage or live timings provided, but you can follow a our live updates from Circuit de Catalunya.
The drivers also have a good idea of what to expect as a result of their time in the simulator, and Charles Leclerc’s impression is the extra weight has made the new cars more of a handful for the men behind the wheel.
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“The cars are much heavier than last year and that makes it trickier when you lose control. You feel the extra weight and it’s harder to get the car back under control. It also feels different on the brakes. You have to re-test the limits of the car and that makes it harder to drive. I think once we get more experience kilometres in testing, that won’t be an issue. But as with any new car, and especially with a completely new car like this year, it’s a bit more difficult at the beginning.” – the Monegasque driver said, as reported by Speedweek.
There are a lot of unknowns regarding how the new cars will behave when following a rival on track and whether the new aero rules will indeed make overtaking a lot easier. Ferrari also needs to understand how competitive the F1-75 will be.
“We have got to know the car extensively in the simulator. But at the moment it’s hard to say how well you can chase an opponent with it and how it will perform compared to last year’s Ferrari. We will have to wait and see. We have been working on this car for a very long time and I could see how good the work was that was put in. That makes me feel very positive. But of course you don’t know where you stand until the first qualifying. The feeling is definitely good and everyone in the team is extremely motivated. I can’t wait to drive this beautiful car.” – Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc concluded.
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