Ferrari is reportedly developing a 2024 car based on Leclerc’s driving style

Leclerc’s driving style is fundamentally different from Saint’s. The Monegasse – like Max Verstappen – has an absolute need for an absolutely precise front section, i.e. absolute grip of the front wheels at the entrance and exit of the curve. Accordingly, oversteer – rear slip – is not such a big problem for the 25-year-old.

The Spaniard, on the other hand – like Sergio Perez in the RBR – has no problem with the nose understeering and the front wheels not responding perfectly to the steering wheel commands. Instead, it must move at its absolute speed and absolute tail grip.

This fundamental driving difference between Leclerc and Sainz also explains the differences in performance between the two at different stages of the 2023 season. He struggled – and mostly failed – to bring about the changes in his own driving measures.

It shows how the Ferrari SF-23 suited Saint after the summer changes, helping the Spaniard adapt it to his style and take victory at the Singapore GP – where Leclerc didn’t have the same speed.

Equally telling, the SF-23 changes at Suzuka in October suited Leclerc’s driving style much better, allowing the Monegasque to regain his speed and finish the season far more competitive than Saint.

Leclerc confirmed this after the last race in Abu Dhabi, saying: “This second half of the season makes me more optimistic for next year. From Japan I finally got a strong front end [του μονοθεσίου], and I missed that a lot. It helped me in the qualifying tests and especially in the race.”

And in fact, in the last five races of 2023, Leclerc started from the front row all five times and took two second places in the races. Instead, Sainz had the worst season finish by a Formula 1 star since Michael Schumacher in 1997.

With this in mind, Ferrari faces the dilemma of developing the 2024 car according to the driving style of Leclerc or Saint. Especially considering that if she tries to find the golden ratio, she runs the risk of getting a car that doesn’t fit either of her two drivers.

As Red Bull, who developed the RB19 – starting from the Miami GP in May – based on Verstappen’s driving style and Perez’s weight, can easily understand, if the publication of the (reliable) Italian website f1ingenerale is correct, that the Die Scuderia is doing the same for Leclerc, but it’s easy to assume Ferrari will prioritize the Monegasque in its potential Formula 1 title fight over the next two years.

Perhaps, the Italians write, adapting the “Project 676” to the driving style of just one driver is one of the more parameters that the Scuderia has to cover perfectly in order to be able to compete with the Red Bull-Verstappen combination. one of the most dominant in F1 history.