Leclerc Vows to Keep Working After Analyzing Austrian GP Performance Dip
Charles Leclerc says he and Ferrari are intensifying efforts to understand and fix a recent performance drop after analyzing the Austrian Grand Prix.
- 2026
- 1 cars
What Happened
Charles Leclerc met with media ahead of the British Grand Prix, discussing the team's deep analysis of the Austrian Grand Prix where they saw a new trend: competitive on Saturday but not on Sunday, opposite to most of the season. He emphasized the need to work hard and regain confidence.
“In Austria we saw a new trend: we were competitive on Saturday, but not on Sunday, whereas for most of the season it had been the other way around, with a car that was generally stronger in the race than in qualifying. As a team we’ve worked hard, and I’ve also put a lot of effort into understanding what I myself could have optimised.”
Leclerc noted that the current generation of Formula 1 cars will change the nature of high-speed corners at iconic circuits like Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps and Suzuka due to energy management. He expressed uncertainty about the feeling but believed it would differ from past experiences.
Why this matters
Even top drivers and teams must continuously analyze and adapt to stay competitive in Formula 1, where performance swings can happen from one weekend to another.
Terms in This Story
- Qualifying
- A session to determine the starting grid for a race, based on fastest lap times.
- Pace
- The speed of a car during a race or qualifying, often referring to its competitiveness.
- Energy management
- The strategy of controlling the hybrid system's energy usage in Formula 1 cars to optimize performance over a lap or race.
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