Charles Leclerc admitted that Ferrari's decision to start the Dutch F1 sprint at Zandvoort on soft tyres was a high-stakes gamble. On the grid, he had doubts as nearly all rivals lined up on mediums. But the choice proved right, helping him overtake Lando Norris and finish second.
Leclerc, known for his aggressive racing, was one of only two drivers to choose softs for the 24-lap sprint. Despite limited overtaking action at Zandvoort, his move on Norris at lap 18 was a highlight. He credited the success to differences in energy deployment and strategy.
“When you're the only one doing something, it's either very right or very wrong,” Leclerc smiled. “Luckily, it was right. That shows we did our homework in FP1, but of course, on the grid, I just hoped we made the right call.”
The decision was made together with the team, though it wasn't easy. Leclerc explained that he and teammate Lewis Hamilton ran different strategies. “We had two different strategies, so it wasn't obvious. But after FP1, I felt the soft was good, even though I'd done few laps and wasn't comfortable with the medium.”
Pirelli had indicated that the C3 and C4 were closely matched, with only the C2 offering a significant difference. Leclerc also highlighted Ferrari's qualifying weakness, which he says is hard to fix at Zandvoort. “We have a strong race car, but in qualifying we lack a bit. I actually expected to pass at the start, not at the end of the race,” he added.
With second place in the sprint, Leclerc showed that Ferrari remains competitive in race conditions. However, he knows that improving qualifying is crucial to fight for wins. Zandvoort's narrow layout makes track position vital, and Leclerc hopes the team can find a solution before the main qualifying session.
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