Charles Leclerc admitted surprise at McLaren’s performance in the Formula 1 Japanese GP. The Ferrari driver stated that he did not expect to see Oscar Piastri pull away right on the first lap of the race in Suzuka.
Read more F1: Norris says it’s a «shame» Piastri lost the win at the Japanese GP
The Monegasque got a good start and overtook the two Mercedes cars that shared the front row, taking the lead at the first corner. However, unlike what happened in other races, Leclerc could not keep up with the car that went ahead, which featured a Mercedes power unit, in this case Piastri’s McLaren.
While the Australian showed strong pace from the start, Leclerc ended up losing ground quickly. Shortly after, the Ferrari driver was also overtaken by George Russell, who had lost fewer positions at the start than his teammate, Kimi Antonelli, and had no other opportunity to compete directly with McLaren.
The race took a turn after the entry of the Safety Car, caused by the accident of Haas’s Oliver Bearman. After the restart, Leclerc managed to recover some positions, overtaking his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, who had pitted earlier, as well as Russell, securing third place and his second podium of the season.
The Ferrari driver, who started from fourth position, detailed the initial phase of the race after overtaking the two Mercedes: “I was happy,” Leclerc stated, commenting on the start of the race. He then explained that he began to focus on Piastri, but quickly noticed the difference in performance.
Read more F1: Red Bull experiences worst start to the season since 2015
“I was obviously focusing on Oscar, but he was very strong, especially on the first lap,” he stated. The performance caught the Monegasque’s attention, as he did not expect to face difficulties so early against McLaren.
According to Leclerc, the difference was clear right at the start of the race: “On the first lap, I was very surprised by how much he pulled away. After that, I tried to stay as close as possible, but he had a bit more pace,” he added.
Leclerc also said he tried to wait for an opportunity later in the race to react, but it didn’t happen: “I was just trying to wait for later in the race, but it didn’t happen,” the Ferrari driver concluded.
Read more F1 today: Colapinto stirs up the day and Japan continues to deliver
