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Leclerc Discusses Strategy Following Front Wing Damage in Chinese Grand Prix

During the recent Chinese Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc elaborated on his choice to continue racing despite sustaining damage to his front wing after making contact with Lewis Hamilton. The Monegasque driver chose to prioritize track position over a timely pit stop.

In the first lap, Leclerc’s Ferrari and Hamilton’s car made slight contact at Turn 3, resulting in the loss of an endplate from Leclerc’s front wing. Following the incident, his race engineer, Bryan Bozzi, informed him that he was missing approximately “20-30 points of downforce.” Despite this setback, Leclerc felt he could manage the situation, estimating that the downforce loss could cost him around 0.2 to 0.3 seconds per lap.

Remarkably, Leclerc’s performance did not seem to suffer significantly, and he decided against a pit stop to replace the damaged wing, believing that the time lost would be detrimental to his race strategy.

As the race progressed, Leclerc’s superior pace relatively to Hamilton led Ferrari management to allow him to pass his teammate and pursue George Russell. At one point, he closed in on Russell to a distance manageable for a DRS overtaking attempt. However, a lock-up at Turn 14 hindered his progress and halted his charge.

As the race neared its conclusion, the compromised front wing began to affect Leclerc’s performance more significantly. His hard-compound front tyres exhibited more wear, which impacted his efforts in a fierce battle for fourth place with Max Verstappen.

“It’s clear that the loss of downforce was significant, and we certainly had the potential to achieve a better result,” Leclerc shared in an interview with Sky Sports. “We opted not to risk the eight seconds it would take for a pit stop to change the wing, as I would have then had to contend with overtaking other cars, especially considering our vulnerability in Turn 12.” He emphasized that maintaining track position was crucial to maximizing his overall race outcome.

Continuing his reflections, Leclerc noted, “To be honest, I didn’t feel particularly fast out there. The car did not feel optimal. It was clear we had speed, as evidenced by our performance in the sprint and my strong finish there.” He expressed satisfaction with the car’s improvements for the race day.

Leclerc also took a diplomatic stance regarding the incident with Hamilton, labeling it a “racing incident” and acknowledging that both drivers were unaware they would be in close proximity at that corner.

Ferrari’s team principal, Fred Vasseur, praised Leclerc’s ability to compete effectively with a damaged front wing, though he noted the escalating implications of the choice not to replace it. “The positives from this weekend included Lewis’s pole and his sprint victory, along with Charles’s impressive pace despite the wing damage,” Vasseur remarked. “However, managing tyre wear became increasingly challenging towards the end, and it’s clear we finished 20 seconds behind McLaren despite the setback, which is still a commendable result.”

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