The Cavallino driver between marriage and the new F1: “Very happy with Alexandra. The new cars require balance in energy management. The values? Mercedes ahead, us close behind with Red Bull and McLaren.”
Charles Leclerc arrives in Australia with the awareness of someone who has just opened a new chapter, both personally and professionally. Between his wedding last week to his Alexandra and a Ferrari that finally wants to dream, the Monegasque analyzes the new Formula 1 with the clarity of someone who is starting with great ambitions in a totally revamped F1. And since Cavallino fans are also very interested in the topic of marriage with Ferrari, in his interview with Sky Sport, he couldn’t help but talk about the renewal of his contract with Maranello: “My wedding? We are super happy, Ale came with me to Australia and it’s like a honeymoon, even though she’s not convinced about spending it at a Grand Prix,“ he joked. ”As for the marriage with the red team, we are talking about it. Marriage for life? I don’t think a contract for life has ever been done, but the dialogue is open.”
The new cars are intriguing because of the new driving style required of the drivers: “F1 has changed radically. We were programmed from childhood to look at the delta; every tenth of a second gained in a corner was a gain on the lap. Now that’s no longer the case. You can gain two tenths at the entrance, but if the battery runs out, you lose five three hundred meters later. It’s a difficult balance to find. In qualifying, your mind has to take control again. Your instinct would tell you to brake ten meters later, but instead you have to keep braking at the same point so as not to alter the behavior of the electrical system.“
Battery management— Your opinion? ”Last year I was harsh in my judgment, but we’ve made enormous progress since the simulator. Many problems will be solved, others are part of the philosophy of these cars. We use up a lot of energy every time we go flat out, so we need a compromise in recharging, which means lifting off and coasting. In this process, I enjoyed myself more than I expected in seeking performance. It will be an F1 that is less gut-driven and more head-driven. The winter preparation was extreme, starting well before the off-season. Battery management during overtaking will be crucial. Those who do it well and have the best systems will gain a lot. But in qualifying, gut feeling will always make the difference in finding the limit. I don’t think the new regulations will penalize me in qualifying. The flying lap does not depend on technique, but on the head: knowing how to put everything together and feel the limit without ever going beyond it. Even with lift and coast, you still have to find the right limit.
Ferrari expectations— Then some thoughts on how Ferrari is approaching this World Championship: “We are happy with how we have worked,” he said. “The tests have been much more productive than last year’s negative ones. There is much more potential in the wind tunnel today than in the past, so the hierarchy can change in a few months. We are strong at the start, probably more so than the others, and that will be a key advantage given that overtaking remains difficult.“ How do we compare to our rivals? ”It’s difficult to say where we really are,“ Leclerc concluded. ”We don’t know if Mercedes still has 50 horsepower to put on the track for qualifying; if so, we would be far behind. My feeling is that we are the second or third force with Red Bull, with McLaren close behind and Mercedes ahead.”
