Leclerc expects tough weekend: 'That has been a problem for us'

Charles Leclerc was able to breathe a sigh of relief after the Austrian Grand Prix, where he secured victory after a number of disappointing results. In France, he looks ahead to a challenging weekend in tyre management.

At the press conference for the French Grand Prix, broadcast by Sky Sports, Leclerc stressed the importance of his recent win. "We have had five difficult races on my side where everything felt against me," said the Ferrari driver. "It's important to have that win, take some points back to Max."

Whether he can repeat the trick this weekend remains to be seen, as tyre degradation is expected to play a crucial role at the Circuit Paul Ricard. The sky-high temperatures will add to that problem. "The last two years [here] have been very difficult," Leclerc continued.

The Monegasque stressed that tyre management has been a problem for Ferrari this year, although the Italian stable seemed to have made a big step forward in that respect in Austria. The team will continue to focus on optimising tyre management this weekend.