P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Charles Leclerc suffered a problem with an upshift in his Ferrari during SQ3, which he feels cost him ahead of the sprint at the São Paulo Grand Prix.
Charles Leclerc mentioned that a missed downshift caused him to lose lap time in the final part of sprint qualifying at the São Paulo Grand Prix, where he will start from eighth in the one-third distance race.
Despite struggling with pace in his Ferrari, Leclerc faced a challenging day overall at Interlagos, as seen with his spin affecting Lewis Hamilton’s sprint qualifying performance, leaving Hamilton to start from P11.
The Scuderia had a tough day with both drivers facing difficulties in getting up to speed, especially evident in the practice session where they were placed P18 and P19 on the timing board while using hard tires.
Reflecting on the disappointing start to the weekend, Leclerc expressed his dissatisfaction with the team’s current situation and the slow pace of the car, acknowledging the need for improvements before the sprint and grand prix qualifiers.
Leclerc highlighted that an issue during his first timed run in sprint qualifying likely hindered his grid position, emphasizing the importance of making adjustments during the opportunity to modify the car between sessions but remaining uncertain about the direction for improvements.
Despite feeling unsure about the ideal setup changes to address the lack of pace, Leclerc expressed willingness to try different approaches to enhance performance, recognizing the challenging circumstances faced during the tough weekend in Brazil.
