Charles Leclerc deems podium finish a ‘realistic’ target for Ferrari despite starting Austrian GP in P6 

Charles Leclerc hit the gravel during the final stages of Q3 on Saturday.

Charles Leclerc deems podium finish a ‘realistic’ target for Ferrari despite starting Austrian GP in P6 

Charles Leclerc (Via: Imago)

The six-time Grand Prox winner, Charles Leclerc starts P6 on the grid for the Austrian Grand Prix after a problematic final run in Q3 yesterday. Leclerc has spoken of some realistic goals that might be achieved, provided the Maranello-based outfit performs strongly in the upcoming race.

Charles Leclerc has been the main man for Ferrari this season, emerging as one of the top contenders for the title against Red Bull. But the Italian team has not been on a good spell since their historic win in Monaco, which has greatly affected their title hopes this campaign.

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Leclerc has hence claimed that the team has worked hard to change a couple of things on the SF-24, which is supposed to make a difference on the track for the Reds in the 71-lap race. However, the Monegasque has stuck to his instincts while saying that a top-three finish is an optimistic but realistic goal for Ferrari in light of their performances through the weekend.

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We did a better job [in qualifying] and it went in the right direction, but as I said, I made a mistake in Q3 which cost us the opportunity to be further up the grid. I would expect it to be better in the race, and top three is optimistic but realistic.
Charles Leclerc via RacingNews365

Charles Leclerc hit the gravel on his final push lap on Saturday in Q3 which cost him the chance to start higher on the grid. The 25-year-old driver will now attempt to make a few tidy moves during the start of the race to reignite the chances of Ferrari against McLaren and Red Bull.

Fred Vasseur claims lap 1 will determine the result in Spielberg

Ferrari Team Principal, Fred Vasseur has predicted that the teams will play around efficiently with their strategies and pitstops during the main race as opposed to the sprint on Saturday. Vasseur further claimed that the first lap would determine a major chunk of Ferrari’s performance in the race.

Charles Leclerc and Fred Vasseur
Charles Leclerc and Fred Vasseur (Via: Imago)
So a lot will depend on the start and on lap 1, but compared to the Sprint, strategy and pit stops are involved and everyone will play a bit with these factors.
Fred Vasseur said post qualifying in Austria

Vasseur has been a successful team principal in bringing about radical changes within Ferrari since joining in 2023 and has played proper bets to the team’s advantage for the better part of the current campaign. However, the French boss now faces a huge challenge after an average qualifying run by the team on Saturday.

Fred Vasseur elaborated that the DRS trains around the Red Bull Ring will be a key advantage to the drivers if they get used properly around specific points in time. The upcoming race will determine how much of a gap Ferrari can close to the leading teams, McLaren and Red Bull, as they eye podiums for the first time since Monaco this year.

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