Charles Leclerc ended a 38-race winless drought by winning the British Grand Prix, but he made it clear that the result does not alter his stance for the rest of the Formula 1 season. The Ferrari driver said he still needs to rebuild confidence with the car and assured that he does not consider the issues resolved.
The victory at Silverstone was the Monégasque’s ninth of his career, tying Rubens Barrichello for eighth on Ferrari’s all-time list of race winners. The win also marked the team’s 250th triumph in Formula 1 and occurred at the same circuit where Ferrari claimed its first Grand Prix in 1951.
Leclerc explained that cars from the current generation require a very different driving style from what drivers had grown used to. According to him, this made adapting over the season more challenging. “These cars are very specific and very different from the way we have been driving since we started racing. Therefore, it takes a bit longer to adjust,” he said.
“I was very strong in the first part of the season, then I lost a bit of feel with the car. We changed several things and it took longer than I would have liked to get back to the level I wanted. Additionally, we had some Sundays that cost me many points,” he explained.
Despite the relief of the Silverstone result, Leclerc stressed that he intends to stay grounded. “I am really happy to get out of this situation in this manner. However, this is only the beginning. It was just one race, and I cannot let myself think the war is over. I have faced many difficulties with this car and I cannot consider all of this to be behind us. I will continue working to find that confidence more frequently in the upcoming races,” he concluded.
