Charles Leclerc diverged from the criticisms made by Max Verstappen about the current Formula 1 regulations, stating that the changes recently introduced represent a positive step forward. The Ferrari driver admitted to being somewhat of an ‘outsider’ on the grid for seeing the battles differently from most competitors.
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The first changes implemented for the Miami GP tried to ease some of the complaints about the behavior of the new generation cars. While Verstappen stated that the rules remain practically the same even after the adjustments, Leclerc assessed that there was a noticeable improvement in drivability.
“The regulation remains the regulation. We can’t make a revolution in the middle of the year,” said the Monegasque in an interview with the press. Still, he believes that the direction taken by the category was correct: “It was a step in the right direction. A bit better to drive naturally.”
Leclerc also commented on the criticisms made by Verstappen, who compared the current races to a Mario Kart game because of energy management and the characteristics of the cars. The Ferrari driver disagreed with the assessment and stated that wheel-to-wheel battles still provide good fights on the track.
“I have always disagreed a bit with that. I know I’m an outsider on the grid, but I feel that, at least in the battles I had with the cars ahead, when you have systems working similarly to yours, overtakes are really good,” he said.
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According to Leclerc, current Formula 1 only requires a more strategic approach from drivers during races. For him, this factor does not represent a big difference compared to last season, when the use of DRS also determined the best moment to attack or defend position.
“It’s a bit more strategic than last year, but last year was also strategic with DRS. If you wanted to overtake at a certain point, you had to think about whether or not you had DRS and then build a gap. I don’t think it has changed significantly,” he added.
Despite the positive assessment of the battles, the Ferrari driver acknowledged that there are still areas that need adjustments. Leclerc believes that the operation of the current systems can be refined to make driving more natural for competitors: “There are still ways to adjust the system and better optimize all of this. Not always what you need to do inside the car feels natural. So, yes, there are still improvements to be made,” concluded the Monegasque about the current Formula 1 regulations.
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