Charles Leclerc on McLaren’s ‘Controversial’ Rear ⁣Wing: ‘I Underestimated Their Straight-Line ⁤Speed’

Charles Leclerc has admitted he underestimated the powerful straight-line speed of McLaren, which adopted a “controversial”⁢ rear wing ⁤design at the Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix.

Last weekend ‌in Baku, Leclerc looked set to win the race ⁢from pole position, ⁢building a six-second lead in the ⁤opening stint. However, Leclerc’s chances ended when he was clipped by Oscar Piastri ‍during his pit stop and was passed⁤ on lap 20.

Leclerc admitted ⁤after the race⁣ that he chose not to cover the inside line of Turn 1 ‌because he thought ‍he had a chance‌ to regain the ⁢position.

Leclerc ‌says that neither he nor‍ Ferrari expected the McLaren MCL38 package to be so quick on the straights, ​and that his ⁢attempts were therefore unsatisfactory.

“It was a good move,” Leclerc told the media. “But when I ⁤saw him pass me on the inside, I knew he was​ there. I knew​ he had a chance to pass me, but I wasn’t worried⁣ anymore. He wasn’t there.”

“I knew he had a chance to get the upper hand, but on the other hand I⁢ was in ‍the early stages of ⁤warming up the tyres and I didn’t want to put them under ​stress.”

“So in terms of strengthening our defense, we didn’t want ‌to start​ unreasonably.”

“But I was wrong. Obviously his straight-line ⁣speed‍ was very strong and I never⁣ had a chance to ⁢overtake⁤ him again.”

Leclerc, who finished second, insists there was nothing he could have ​done ⁤with his Ferrari to overturn ⁢McLaren’s slim advantage in top ​speed.

“I⁢ don’t ‍think I could have done anything offensively. I could have defended better.”

“But again, I didn’t realise how fast they were on the straights after that.”

McLaren’s Rear Wing: A​ ‘Controversial’⁢ Design

McLaren’s improvement in⁢ straight-line speed sparked much ‌discussion after the race. The⁤ rear-view camera on Piastri’s car captured ⁢some interesting behavior.

The‍ upper part of the McLaren MCL38’s rear wing appears​ to ⁣reduce drag by flexing on the ​straights, and around the paddock this mechanism has‍ been nicknamed ‘Mini ⁢DRS’.

McLaren insists the mechanism is legal and has passed relevant static load tests, but F1 rivals have called for clarification on how much the part ‍can flex.

Ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, the FIA ​​has announced it will review the situation in​ Baku to determine whether intervention is necessary.

Leclerc revealed that there had ‌been a discussion ⁤within Ferrari over the ​controversial ⁤topic,‍ but said he would leave the team’s position to president​ Frédéric Vasseur.

“Yes, there have definitely been discussions already,” Leclerc said when asked what he thought of McLaren’s ⁢rear wing.

“I mean, ⁢I’m sure Fred ​could ‌explain it a little more, but from what I’ve heard, it’s controversial to say the least.”

“So I’ll leave it at that, but Fred will comment in more detail.”

Category: Formula 1 ⁣/ ⁢ Charles Leclerc / ⁢ Scuderia Ferrari