Charles Leclerc has revealed his honest ‘feeling’ about how Ferrari and rivals Red Bull will perform at the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix after the Scuderia’s sub-par Canadian GP.
Formula 1 heads for the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya next in round 10 of the 2024 season. Ferrari will also hope that F1 returning to Europe sees them bounce back following their first double DNF in 45 races. The Scuderia last retired their two cars at the 2022 Azerbaijan GP.
The Maranello outfit had headed for the Canadian GP in high spirits after Ferrari saw Leclerc win the Monaco GP. But the Scuderia could not build on their momentum as the 26-year-old qualified in P11, with teammate Carlos Sainz in P12. The pair also retired on Laps 40 and 52.
Charles Leclerc ‘feels’ Ferrari will trail Red Bull at the 2024 F1 Spanish GP
Ferrari eventually ended Leclerc’s Canadian GP owing to a power unit problem that plagued the Monegasque all race. He initially re-set the SF-24’s engine during a pit stop to switch to slick tyres. But his race was done running a lap behind the leaders with the track still wet.
Sainz would even join Leclerc on the sidelines with 18 laps to go after spinning at Turn 6 and clipping Alex Albon of Williams. The 29-year-old lost control of his car after dipping onto the damper line. Albon had nowhere to escape to when Sainz let his Ferrari roll before touching.
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Only the lower points-paying positions were on offer to Ferrari before Leclerc and Sainz both retired from the Canadian GP, too. But Leclerc believes the Scuderia will be in the mix beside McLaren and Mercedes at the Spanish GP, although the circuit should suit Red Bull the most.
Leclerc said, via quotes by Motorsport-Total: “I have the feeling that Red Bull’s strength will be more visible on a track like Barcelona. But we will have to wait and see. And behind Red Bull, I think we will all be pretty close.”
Max Verstappen and Red Bull have won the past two Spanish Grand Prix
Red Bull endured their own race to forget at the Monaco GP with Max Verstappen only able to claim P6. Sergio Perez also crashed with Haas racer Kevin Magnussen on the opening lap in Monte Carlo having qualified in P16. Red Bull struggled with the kerbs in the Principality.
The Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve suited Red Bull more than the streets of Monaco but the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya should play into Verstappen’s hands even more, as Leclerc expects. Red Bull with Verstappen have won the past two editions of the F1 Spanish GP comfortably.
Verstappen overcame Leclerc taking pole position for the 2022 Spanish GP to win by 13.072 seconds to Perez. The 26-year-old then got pole in 2023 by 0.462s to Sainz before beating Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes to the victory by 24s, with Sainz the lead Ferrari over 45s back.
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