Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc acknowledged that his teammate Carlos Sainz was extracting extra efficiency from the automobile than him within the combat in opposition to Formula One champion Red Bull. However, Leclerc expressed no concern in regards to the state of affairs.
Despite lacking the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as a result of appendicitis, Sainz, who’s departing the Italian group on the finish of the season to accommodate seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, trails Leclerc by simply 4 factors.
Sainz achieved podium finishes in all three races he contested and secured victory in Australia upon his return from surgical procedure.
“I think it’s as simple as he’s doing a better job,” Leclerc mentioned when requested on the Chinese Grand Prix on Thursday whether or not Sainz was adapting higher to the automobile than him.
“In Bahrain (the opening race), it was tough to check as a result of on my facet, I used to be going through points, and I believe it was a really sturdy weekend other than that, on my facet. However, within the final two races, he is simply been stronger.
“It’s as much as me now to work, particularly within the qualifying tempo, which is generally a energy. I’ve been struggling to place the lap collectively.
“It’s a really superb line to get it proper or fully fallacious on the out-lap and placing the tires in the correct window, and for now, I’ve been struggling greater than what Carlos has finished.
“He’s driving at a very high level, which I think is great for the team.”
Leclerc mentioned he was assured he might enhance his qualifying fairly shortly.
“So I’m not worried, but obviously now I need to show that on track starting from tomorrow in qualifying,” he added.
Ferrari is second within the constructors’ standings, 21 factors behind Red Bull, whose triple world champion Max Verstappen has received three of the 4 races and began all of them in pole place.
Sainz completed third in Bahrain, with Leclerc fourth, and third in Japan, the place Leclerc was additionally fourth. In Australia, Ferrari completed one-two.
Leclerc began forward of Sainz in Bahrain, however the Spaniard outperformed his teammate in qualifying for Australia and Japan.
Leclerc mentioned that China, returning to the calendar for the primary time since 2019, ought to be higher for Ferrari than the earlier race in Japan, though he nonetheless anticipated Red Bull to have the higher hand.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
