Charles Leclerc is inspired by his first expertise of Ferrari’s new automobile after driving it on the workforce’s simulator.
Ferrari offered the brand new SF-24 immediately and Leclerc’s workforce mate Carlos Sainz Jnr was the primary to drive it at their Fiorano take a look at monitor. Leclerc stated he had a constructive impression from his first digital expertise of the automobile.
“On the simulator, the sensation is nice,” he stated. “The automobile is certainly a step ahead in comparison with final 12 months.
“We’ve been specializing in the primary weaknesses we had final 12 months as we do yearly and for now the automobile on the simulator has been reacting extraordinarily properly.”
Nevertheless he’s reserving ultimate judgement till he’s seen the automobile’s real-world efficiency. “There’s clearly one other vital half to all of that is how a lot it correlates to, then, the true automobile as soon as we put it in Bahrain for the primary time on the monitor.
“This can be an important second that may inform us whether or not we did a very good job for this season. However till now, to this point so good and every thing we’ve examined on the simulator was constructive.”
Ferrari have been the one workforce moreover Purple Bull to win a race throughout 2023 and ended the season as one of many closest challengers to final 12 months’s dominant world champions. Nevertheless they skilled issues with their automobile early within the season as its efficiency tended to fluctuate wildly.
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“I feel the primary space the place we needed to work on was the sensitivity to the change of circumstances,” stated Leclerc. “We had a really peaky automobile final 12 months the place it was very sturdy each time we had all the right circumstances however each time considered one of these elements, whether or not it’s temperature, wind pace, pressure or course, it should have a huge effect on our automobile.
“This we wished to vary for this automobile to make it higher and simpler to drive, because it was very troublesome each time it was windy circumstances and that is one thing that I wish to see change for this 12 months.”
Sainz was extra reserve concerning the automobile’s efficiency, talking earlier than he shook down the SF-24 chassis. “I actually don’t like going into specifics of how the automobile feels within the simulator, as a result of it’s clearly one thing very non-public for the workforce,” he stated. “However sure, it undoubtedly feels totally different.
“The goal is for the automobile to really feel totally different, to provide extra confidence to the drivers and to have the ability to extract extra lap time from it. Final 12 months wasn’t straightforward in that entrance, however this 12 months, I’m fairly certain we’ve got made steps in the correct course. Whether or not it will likely be sufficient or not, solely time will inform.”
Ferrari “are attempting to enhance all of the areas,” with its new chassis, stated Sainz. “I feel if we actually need to problem for the world title this 12 months, we have to enhance in each single space of the automobile.
“That’s precisely what we’ve been making an attempt to do all of the winter and the previous season, to attempt to enhance each single space. Don’t go away something with out touching it or with out making an attempt to enhance it. And with that method and with this mindset this automobile is one factor to enhance in each single space.”
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