Charles Leclerc closes on Thursday free tests of the Las Vegas GP with lights and shadows. On the street circuit of the Strip, the Monegasque finished the second session at fifth place, showing a fluctuating trend on a day characterized by difficult conditions for all teams.
A complex track and new conditions
The day started with rigid temperature (14°C air and 16°C track) which They have complicated the management of the tires. The lack of grip and the graining, triggered by the dirty and still evolving asphalt, made the job even more difficult for all the teams. "It was not a memorable day for us, but it seems like it was complicated for the other teams too” Leclerc explained at the end of FP2.
Leclerc concluded the first session sixth time , second in fifth position. As often happens, however, times do not tell the whole story. "We are not as strong as we expected to be before going on the track” added the Monegasque, underlining the difficulty in bringing the tires to the right temperature (problem also encountered by comrade Carlos) Sainz).
Tyre challenge and evolving strategy
“The challenge of the weekend will be precisely this: with these very cold weather conditions, it is difficult to find the right compromise" Leclerc continued. The SF-24 showed good potential on race pace, but struggles to exploit the tyres in the qualifying laps. In short, the Las Vegas weekend repeats what has been the trend for Ferrari throughout the season.
The work of the Maranello technicians will be crucial in the next few hours to refine the set-up and find a solution for Friday's qualifying, scheduled for late evening, when temperatures will be even lower. “We’ll work on that tonight. Let’s see what we can bring home tomorrow.” He finished number 16, maintaining cautious optimism for the rest of the weekend.
The race for the Constructors' podium
With three races to go, the Las Vegas GP represents aimportant opportunity for Ferrari to recover precious points from McLaren in the battle for the builder title. However, the Prancing Horse will have to quickly find answers to compete with the Woking team and Mercedes, who currently appear to have a performance advantage on this track, as demonstrated by Lewis Hamilton's two first places in the two free practice sessions held so far.
Leclerc looks ahead with determination, aware that the evolution of the track and good strategic work could turn the tide of a weekend that started off on an uphill slope. "I am confident that we will be able to be competitive" said the Monegasque, ready to play his cards in Saturday night's match.
