Ahead of Suzuka, Charles Leclerc expresses his statements regarding the Japanese fans and Ferrari's best performances. He also expresses his opinion
Charles Leclerc at Suzuka: his statements
Leclerc's statements at Suzuka begin like this:
Charles, how much support have you received here in Japan? Is there a Charles Leclerc fan club here?
"I don't know, maybe there is, but I'm lucky enough to be a Ferrari driver, so wherever we go in the world we have many fans. But come here Japan it's always even more special because the fans are so creative, they're so passionate that they always come bringing crazy stuff to the track. So it's always interesting and pleasant to be here. "
So let's talk about performance: was Ferrari fast at Monza and also at Marina Bay, two contrasting tracks? What should we expect from Suzuka?
"It is very difficult to predict the performance of any team this year because there are so many variables on the track. We didn't expect Red Bull to suffer so much in Singapore and we didn't expect to be so fast in Singapore. I hope the surprises are positive for us this weekend too. However, I think we expect the Red Bulls to be in front again and then by fight very closely with Mercedes and McLaren, as has happened all year. Every penny can make a difference, so it will be very difficult to predict whether we will be ahead or behind, but we will do our best to be better than the others."
A question of… consistency
Leclerc's statements at Suzuka continue like this:
Are you now starting to find some consistency in the performance of this machine?
"Yes, one thing we found, definitely, from Zandvoort is a good understanding of our driving feel, at least. In Zandvoort we did several tests which were normally useful for the whole team. And in the following 2/3 weekends for understand our package a little better and this it is crucial, also for the future and for the developments that will take place, especially. Then, in the short term I don't think this will help us fight for victory at every circuit, but at least we will be able to make the most of our package. And this should be positive because, as mentioned before, only a few cents separate us between Mercedes and McLaren. So we have to be in top form every weekend. "
And thus Leclerc's statements conclude:
Any concerns about the return of the harder compounds here?
"Ninth. I don't think this can play a major role in our level of competitiveness, then I'm not worried about harder compounds. "
