Chasing Mercedes
Charles Leclerc seems to have started the Monza weekend on the right foot. The Ferrari driver, who has already won on the Brianzolo track in 2019 and 2024, finished the morning FP1 with the best time while in the afternoon he had to settle for second place behind George Russell’s Mercedes. Clearly, the long straights of Monza help the silver arrows more than the reds, but the ‘ADUO-2’ engine seems for the moment to be able to help Maranello’s cause.
Leclerc, analyzing this Friday, did not overcommit, but hinted that he has a clear understanding of the areas where work will be needed on his SF-26 to try to challenge Russell’s Mercedes on equal terms both in qualifying and in the race.
Read more Antonelli and the slipstream to Russell: “It will count a lot, we will see tomorrow”
“It is always exciting to return to Monza, a truly special place for us as a team and for all our fans – commented Leclerc – there is still work to be done because our rivals seem competitive, but so far the feelings with the car have been good. We know what our weaknesses are and we will focus on those, giving our best from tomorrow to bring home the best possible result on Sunday“. The red fans dream of the Monegasque’s hat-trick
