Leclerc promises the slipstream to Hamilton
At Monza, it will not only be about the engine and pure performance, especially for a car like the Ferrari SF-26 which has always struggled with top speed compared to rivals. On a track where the slipstream can have considerable weight, the collaboration between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton could also become one of the decisive elements, especially during qualifying. An even more important topic in light of the frictions at Zandvoort between the drivers and the pit wall.
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The Monegasque explained how the team already has a precise philosophy to manage this type of situation: if Ferrari deems it appropriate, Leclerc will give the slipstream to Hamilton in qualifying.
Leclerc’s words
“We alternate in this sense, we have always had the same philosophy. This weekend Lewis has priority, so surely as a team we will do what needs to be done“.
“If we risk compromising the result, I don’t think it will happen; otherwise, if we can help each other by starting the lap with an optimal distance between us, it will happen and I will try to find another slipstream from someone else hoping to start from the best possible position“.
The memory of Ferrari fans, in this case, can only go back 12 months, when the seven-time British champion did not favor his teammate despite a grid penalty. Leclerc himself admitted that the management of the slipstream could have been different, while Frederic Vasseur dodged the topic by stating that he prioritized tire management on the formation lap.
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