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Leclerc: 'I sometimes give up a bit in qualifying to be good in the race'

Leclerc: 'I sometimes give up a bit in qualifying to be good in the race'

11-01-2022 10:18 Last update: 11:00
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GPblog.com

Charles Leclerc says after four F1 seasons he still finds it difficult to find the right balance in a race weekend between Saturday qualifying and Sunday racing. The Monegasque sets a goal for 2022.

Leclerc is a particularly good and fast driver. That proved his promotion to Ferrari after his debut year at Sauber. Meanwhile, the driver has signed a contract for no less than five years with the Italian racing team. Although his skill and speed are unquestionable, Leclerc still has some difficulty building up his race weekends. In 2021, the difference between qualifying and racing showed. The Monégasque was beaten by Carlos Sainz who was driving his first year at Ferrari.

Leclerc needs to improve balance between Saturday and Sunday

Leclerc explains in conversation with F1.com that he found out in 2019 and 2020 that he has a lot of problems building up to his race weekends. The team was not performing ironclad, but also the Monégasque felt that he was not performing optimally as a driver. In 2021 he improved, and it even became a strong feature. Still, it should be possible to be even smoother.

"There's a lot more to work on; for example, the balance between qualifying and the race, that I haven't found yet. Sometimes I give up a bit in qualifying to be good during the race." Leclerc says he has shown that more often in 2021. The balance is what he will work on in 2022. The goal is a perfect balance between Saturday and Sunday.