Ferrari managed to secure its first podium of the year only at the Saudi Arabian GP, the fifth round of the season. It had been years since the Red team had such a disastrous start, weighed down by the unfulfilled expectations from the winter break, when the world had its eyes on Lewis Hamilton at Maranello. Through repeated attempts and “extreme setups,” as the Monegasque driver called them, he is regaining his feeling with the car; thanks to this, in Jeddah he was able to extend his stint on the medium tyres, which allowed him to claim the podium.
However, Tom Kristensen, nine-time Le Mans winner, wanted to sound a warning to the team: “Ferrari maximized the result by bringing Charles Leclerc to third place, also because he executed an excellent strategy. However, the team still needs to find the right balance this season by solving its problems. Certainly, the last race was a boost.” – the Danish former racing driver pointed out.
Echoing him, Alex Brundle also spoke on the F1 Nation podcast: “Leclerc did a great job with his stint. The pit wall tried the same strategy with Lewis but didn’t succeed. Charles, instead, manages to act as a link between the team’s goals and the driver’s objectives, and I understand their attempt to go long. The car has improved in tyre management, so it was worth trying. You have to exploit your own strengths, not those of others.” – he added.
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