Leclerc downplays Ferrari’s Imola deployment issues for Monaco
Charles Leclerc has dismissed claims that Ferrari is suffering from a power unit weakness following the emergence of deployment issues at last weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
The Scuderia’s weekend at Imola was a mixed bag. While early practice sessions hinted at promising results in the wake of their latest upgrades, qualifying painted a different picture.
Both Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz’s performances fell short of expectations, with the Italian outfit’s SF-24 failing to match the pace of its Red Bull and McLaren rivals.
On race day, Leclerc crossed the checkered flag third, but Sainz was fifth, having succumbed during the race to an undercut by Oscar Piastri.
Both Ferrari drivers alluded after the event to battery deployment issues that impacted their pace, which led some to question the reliability and competitiveness of Ferrari's power unit.
However, Leclerc himself has issued a vote of confidence in his team’s capabilities for this weekend's round of racing along the shores of the French Riviera.
"No, it's not a concern," the Monegasque told the media on Thursday in Monaco.
"Obviously, we have seen it in the last race a little bit. We've seen it in Jeddah a little bit, but I think it's more the way we manage everything.
“And that is not something that is set in stone that we cannot change short term, so we just have to look into it but it's no big deal."
While acknowledging last weekend’s deployment issues, Leclerc downplayed their significance for Monaco, a tight and twisty layout where drivers don’t rely on raw power or on a strong hybrid component.
The five-time Grand Prix winner underscored how the Principality’s circuit prioritizes other aspects of car performance.
However, Leclerc assured that Ferrari is taking the issue seriously and conducted a thorough “analysis” to prevent these problems from hindering their SF-24’s performance throughout the remaining races.
"It seems that Red Bull and McLaren were on the positive side of things in Imola," he said. "We missed a bit of time on that, so we have looked into it.
"I don't think that here [in Monaco] it will make such a difference. It's a very different situation we are in.
"However, it can for the rest of the season, so we've done a proper analysis on our side and I'm sure we'll grow from that."
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