Leclerc: I Hoped to Catch Russell, but Didn't Have the Pace

Charles Leclerc ended the Dutch GP Sprint at Zandvoort with a quiet smile. Second place behind George Russell may not be dramatic, but for the Monegasque, it’s proof that Ferrari has rediscovered serious race pace.

Starting from third on the soft tyre—the only frontrunner to choose it—Leclerc initially thought he could attack Russell early. Instead, he had to wait until lap 11 to pass Lando Norris, using his saved battery at Turn 1. “I thought the soft was a good tyre. But when I saw I was the only one on it, I hoped my judgement was right. And in the end, I’m happy with that choice,” he said.

Leclerc admitted he briefly believed he could chase down Russell after the opening laps. But the race leader soon picked up the pace and built a gap that was impossible to close. “After two or three laps, he started pushing more. That’s when I knew it would be difficult. Plus, his power delivery on the straights was different from Lando’s,” he explained.

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This result underlines that Ferrari with its new floor is genuinely competitive at Zandvoort. Leclerc now strengthens his fourth place in the standings, extending his lead over Norris to 11 points. “We’ve had strong pace since yesterday, especially in the race sim on the medium. Qualifying is still missing a bit. Now we need to start higher to make the race easier,” he added.

On the chances of pole, Leclerc stayed realistic. “I’d be surprised if we took pole. But I’ll do everything to make it happen,” he said with determination.

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