Charles Leclerc downplayed Lewis Hamilton’s theory about Ferrari’s use of the simulator after the Formula 1 Canadian GP. The Monegasque stated that the performance difference between the two drivers was not directly related to the use of the tool, attributing the scenario mainly to confidence behind the wheel and car setup.
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The analysis came after a very different weekend for the two Ferrari drivers in Montreal. While Hamilton improved throughout the sessions and finished the race in second place, Leclerc struggled to find rhythm and crossed the finish line in fourth position, 34 seconds behind his teammate.
The performance of the seven-time world champion drew attention because it happened right after his statements about reducing work on Ferrari’s simulator. Hamilton had pointed out a lack of correlation between the data obtained from the tool and the car’s behavior on the track.
When asked about the possibility that the Briton’s decision contributed to his improved performance, Leclerc dismissed this hypothesis. According to him, the gains provided by setup changes are relatively small within the current Formula 1 scenario.
“There is no performance we are seeing today that comes just from a setup. You can say there is a tenth in a setup, but in the end, it’s not that much,” the Monegasque said when commenting on the difference observed between the two sides of the Italian team’s garage.
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Leclerc highlighted that, in today’s Formula 1, results are defined by minimal details. For him, the main problem in Montreal was the lack of confidence to explore the full potential of the SF-26, something that ended up compromising his performance throughout the weekend.
“It’s more about my feeling and the way I drove. When you don’t have confidence, you don’t push the car to the limit. I felt like I was completely off pace. It wasn’t a situation where I was pushing and could say the setup wasn’t exactly what I wanted. Without confidence on a day like that, I simply didn’t attack enough,” concluded the Ferrari driver.
With that, Leclerc dismissed any direct link between the seven-time world champion’s non-use of the simulator and the superiority the Briton showed in Canada. In the Monegasque’s assessment, the difference was much more related to feelings behind the wheel and the ability to extract maximum performance from the car during the weekend.
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