Why it matters:
Charles Leclerc has described Ferrari's performance on Friday at the Dutch Grand Prix as a "wake-up call" after poor practice session results. His stark assessment highlights the team's significant challenges heading into a crucial qualifying session.
The big picture:
Ferrari's Friday at Zandvoort was one of their most difficult of the season. Leclerc finished 14th in FP1 and 8th in FP2, while teammate Lewis Hamilton managed 15th and 6th respectively. The SF-23 cars were noticeably off the pace, with Leclerc nearly a full second slower than pace-setter Lando Norris in FP2.
The details:
- Performance Gap: Leclerc was 0.096 seconds slower than Hamilton in the afternoon session and almost a second behind McLaren's Lando Norris.
- Unexpected Competitor: Fernando Alonso's strong showing in the Aston Martin, finishing within a tenth of Norris, surprised Ferrari and suggests Aston Martin could challenge them in qualifying.
- Leclerc's Assessment: The Monegasque driver called it "probably the worst Friday of the season" and a "wake-up call" after the summer break. He noted that McLaren is "in a league of its own" and Aston Martin was a "surprise."
Ferrari's core problem:
Leclerc pinpointed a highly concentrated issue, stating that Ferrari is losing "basically 90% of the time" in just two specific corners. This unusual concentration of time loss indicates a fundamental handling problem with the SF-23 that the team needs to urgently address.
What's next:
Ferrari faces a significant challenge to turn their fortunes around before qualifying. Leclerc expressed hope for a "miracle" but acknowledged it would be a "difficult weekend." The team will be working intensively to find a solution for the identified cornering issues to improve their competitiveness.