Leclerc says Ferrari has “plenty to work on” after challenging FP2 ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Charles Leclerc arrived in Brazil and took to the track ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after the birth of his first child during the week. Ferrari’s Monaco-based driver said the team has “plenty to work on” after Friday practice, as it looks to find more performance for the weekend.

Leclerc was absent from Free Practice 1 because Ferrari used rookie Dino Beganovic for that session. He returned behind the wheel for Free Practice 2 and finished P7, clocking a time seven-tenths of a second behind Kimi Antonelli’s fastest lap in the session.

Speaking after FP2, Leclerc described the driving conditions as highly unpleasant and said the car did not feel right. “FP2 was very tricky actually, if anything one of the worst feelings I've had this year in the car,” he said. “There's plenty to work on and it didn't feel quite right but I've got some ideas. We'll change the car I think quite significantly and we'll see how it goes.”

Leclerc also said his team’s overall pace in Brazil did not match what it showed last weekend in Mexico. He referenced the prior race, where Lewis Hamilton took pole position and finished second, with Leclerc fourth, and suggested Ferrari lacked “outright speed” compared with Mercedes and McLaren in Brazil.

He added that even though he missed FP1, he does not believe there was much performance to recover from that session, pointing instead to raw speed concerns. “I hope we can do a step forward because even though I missed FP1, I don't think there was much performance in that. It's just the raw pace wasn't great today.”

Beyond the on-track work, Leclerc addressed the paddock storyline that followed the intra-team focus between himself and Hamilton in Mexico. He said the conversation had taken place after both drivers met in Brazil, after the earlier delay created by his need to rush back to Monaco for his wife’s labour. Leclerc said: “We've spoken, I think everything is settled and I'm looking forward for the rest of the weekend now.”

Leclerc reflected on the timing of the week, describing the birth as a once-in-a-lifetime moment. “It's definitely the most special thing ever,” he said. “You kind of expect it because I've always wanted to be a young dad… It's a very, very special moment and definitely a week I'll forever remember for all the positive reasons… for me this week was all about Bianca, and it's been incredible.”