Pirelli tires not a problem for Ferrari: Charles Leclerc explains work done in Maranello. Charles Leclerc explains what has been done at Ferrari regarding the tire situation in Formula 1.

Problems and solutions; Charles Leclerc explains what has been done at Ferrari regarding the tire situation in Formula 1. The Pirelli compounds for the 2023 season have raised quite a few doubts: George Russell has been the most explicit about it, but it’s clear that the difficulty in getting them into the right operating window is a common issue. Many steps forward have been made at Maranello since the start of the World Championship.

Setting aside the recent events in the Singapore Grand Prix, which can still be classified as an exception, the progress made by Ferrari in understanding the Pirelli tires is undeniable. At the beginning of the season, in Grands Prix where temperatures dropped significantly, the SF-24 struggled to find the right grip. To date, much of that uncertainty seems to have disappeared.

This study involved not only the engineering departments in Maranello, which have worked hard throughout the year to restore balance to the car following the updates in Barcelona. At the heart of the solution to the major tire question is also Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque has been at the forefront of understanding the compounds, gradually finding the right compromises.

Charles Leclerc and Ferrari’s work on the compounds
“[The heating of the tires] was probably one of the main reasons, if not the main reason at the beginning of the season, why I struggled,” explains the Monegasque in an interview with The Race and ESPN. “Sometimes the pace was there and the lap was good, but because my outlap was done in a particularly wrong way, the time didn’t turn out fantastic. It was very frustrating.” – the Monegasque driver pointed out.

“I worked a lot on this aspect, and [from Japan onwards] it improved. But it’s true that if there’s a little less sun, if there’s just a cloud passing over the track, this makes a huge difference for the tires. You have to constantly change and adapt to even a slight change in conditions, which is not easy.” – he added – “Every time you have a difficult race, you try to analyze it, and then as soon as you find the cause of your problems, you’re quite confident that you can regain the right pace. But you still want to have the assurance that the next time you’re on track, things are getting back on the right path and that performance is returning.” – Charles Leclerc concluded ahead of the United States Grand Prix.