F1 | Leclerc: “The heat will help us, but let’s wait for the news”

If to evaluate the real possibilities of seeing Adrian Newey in Ferrari we were based only on the expressions on Leclerc’s face, we could bet on a positive conclusion to the story with a good dose of serenity.

Perhaps Charles’s is just a concrete hope, or a desire which however seems to find (positive) confirmation in the growing conviction of the paddock. Leclerc began his usual Thursday press conference by answering questions about the future of Ferrari (Newey, obviously) and then moved on to the present, namely the weekend in Miami.

“Newey in Ferrari? Obviously I would be very happy – Charles immediately clarified – I believe that Adrian is one of those people with whom you hope to be able to work at a certain point in your career. Today we can say that we have a very good team, in the last seven-eight months we are the team that has confirmed the most progress, and adding Adrian to our group would be fantastic, we know that he is an engineer who can make the difference. Fred has always shared with me his vision of the team in the medium and long term, and I have done the same with him. I’m really happy with how things are going, we’re in a good position and we’re attracting the best people in the world.”

While waiting to know Newey’s future, what is certain is his farewell to Red Bull. A departure that could already influence the values ​​on the pitch.
“When the news became official I was a bit surprised – admitted Leclerc – I didn’t expect it. Will it weaken Red Bull? In every team there are many people involved, but some figures are able to make a difference more than others, and I believe that Adrian is definitely part of this small group. His professional career says it, he has been able to achieve very important goals in all the teams in which he has worked. But obviously I don’t have an internal vision of the team (Red Bull) so it’s difficult to comment, I can only say that Adrian is an engineer that everyone in the paddock would like to have in their team.”

In addition to an intriguing future, there is a present with different ambitions but still important for the standings, the morale of the team and also for Leclerc himself. The analyzes carried out after the Shanghai weekend confirmed that the main problem suffered in China was linked to the slow corners.
“That’s where we wasted the most time – confirmed Leclerc – we know this critical issue and we believe that part of the solution should arrive with the next updates. However, we also have the possibility of correcting part of the problem with the setup and general management of the car, and this is work that will be done starting from free practice.”

In the double qualifying in Miami, Charles will most likely be able to count on a small ally: the high temperatures which should be constant throughout the entire weekend.
“It’s a factor that will help us – confirmed Leclerc – on this track it’s quite difficult to put the correct energy into the tires to have them ready for the qualifying lap. I don’t think the heat will completely compensate for the characteristics of the track, but I dedicated a lot of time to this aspect, in Shanghai I made some progress and I continued to work on it even after China.”

Side view of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari SF-24 in its Miami graphic

Picture of: Giorgio Piola

Last year in Miami Leclerc experienced one of the most troubled weekends of the season, with a double off-track exit at turn 7, in free practice and qualifying.
“I can say that the situation we were in in 2023 was very different – ​​he explained – the unpredictability of the single-seater was a nightmare, but we managed to make great steps forward. This year the car is definitely more predictable, especially when the wind direction changes, we are in a better position, then the rules of the game could change with the updates which, hopefully, will arrive as soon as possible. The new package will tell us what objectives we can aspire to in the remaining part of the championship.”