Change of program for Charles Leclerc

Charles Leclerc is currently in the midst of a battle for the GP3 title, and he is keen to maximize his chances to achieve his major goal of the season, which would allow him to obtain his precious F1 Super License.

It was in this context that he was scheduled to drive on Friday morning at the wheel of Esteban Gutierrez’s Haas, as he had already done in Silverstone, Hungary, and Germany. In the Monza paddock, he told us that he had requested to do this session in Malaysia since he had never driven there before: “I asked to do Malaysia because I don’t know the track there, so it will help me.”

But this was without considering the change of schedule planned by GP3. So for its return to Asia, GP3 planned to hold its first session not on Friday evening but on Thursday. These new timings would have therefore forced the Monegasque driver to first drive in GP3, then switch to an F1, and return for GP3 qualifications.

However, during a qualifying session, he must immediately be at the maximum, whereas he should have readjusted to a less performant car, which would have been a disadvantage: « It’s very complicated to go from an F1 to a GP3. The cars are completely different, making it difficult to adjust because as a driver, it’s always easier to move to a more performant car. »

That is why it was decided to postpone this new driving session to Brazil, where the GP3 will not be held. He will therefore be able to fully concentrate on his program during each of these two weekends.

With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr