Fred Vasseur on how Charles Leclerc overcame SF-23 handling difficulties in damp conditions

Scuderia Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur revealed that Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc successfully addressed the challenges he faced with handling the SF-23 in wet conditions. During the rain-affected first practice session for the 2023 Formula 1 British Grand Prix at the Silverstone circuit, Charles Leclerc ran laps on slick tires, allowing him to gain confidence and overcome the difficulties he had encountered in mixed conditions, according to the French manager.

Frederic Vasseur expressed that Charles Leclerc’s performance at the Spa-Francorchamps track in Belgium demonstrated that those struggles were now a thing of the past, thanks to the breakthrough achieved during the Silverstone run:

“He had two difficult races in a row,” – the Ferrari team principal explained – ““He had Barcelona – the quali – and then Spielberg, or Canada, but in mixed conditions. He wanted to do some laps with slicks in Silverstone on the wet also to have a good feeling without pressure, without lap time, and I think he did it and he did perfectly.” – the Frenchman continued.

Frederic Vasseur pointed out that he always knew the Monegasque driver would get overcome the issues he had faced in such track conditions this season:

Show your support for Scuderia Ferrari with official merchandise collection! Click here to enter the F1 online Store and shop securely! And also get your F1 tickets for every race with VIP hospitality and unparalleled insider access. Click here for the best offers to support Charles and Carlos from the track!

“I was not worried at all because I’ve known him for ages, and he was always performing in these kind of conditions. I think he had a poor session in Barcelona, that didn’t go pretty well, but I think the conditions were more than tricky, and he was a bit surprised with this. But it’s behind us. He showed that in these tricky conditions, he was able to be consistently in the front of the pack and he did a good job.” – Scuderia Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur concluded.