Leclerc explains DRS fight: 'Knew weakness was straight-line speed'

Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen had a fantastic battle for the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The new era of Formula 1 is just two races old, but there are already strong indications that the rule and regulation changes have achieved their purpose. Leclerc agrees with this statement and explains his fight for DRS. 

Fight for DRS 

Verstappen closed the gap in the final stages of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and looked to make an overtake on race leader Leclerc. The man from Monaco outsmarted Verstappen to let him overtake to get DRS going into turn one. Verstappen learnt his lesson the second time around and locked up before the activation point. This duel continued for a few laps before eventually, Verstappen got the better of his rival. 

In an interview with Sky Sports, Leclerc reveals is the reasoning behind these tactics. "I knew that my weakness was the speed on the straights compared to the Red Bull they were incredibly quick and on the second to last straight, I was on part throttle waiting for Max to overtake me. The new regulations are definitely working. I was trying to do everything I could."

Australian Grand Prix

The Ferrari and Red Bull battle will seemingly continue in the Australian Grand Prix. Teams now have two weeks of development time to find improvements after gaining data from the opening two races. Leclerc isn't sure how his Ferrari will perform compared to the Red Bull because of the track changes at Albert Park and suggests the set-up will be different from previous years.