Charles Leclerc and Ferrari are hoping for a ‘miracle’ at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Formula 1 Returns to Dutch Grand Prix

Formula 1 kicked back into gear at the Dutch Grand Prix on Friday, marking the end of the summer break.

For Charles Leclerc and Ferrari, it seems they might wish that the break had lasted just a bit longer.

Friday at Zandvoort was tough for the team, with Leclerc calling it the “worst” day of the season. Both he and Lewis Hamilton struggled, landing in P14 and P15 respectively. Leclerc noted that his best time in Sector 2 was overshadowed by several other competitors, including Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, who finished behind him in P18.

Colapinto appears to be significantly quicker than Leclerc, particularly on the stretch from turn 7 to turn 10, which reflects the current challenges Leclerc is facing.

At one point during FP1, he communicated to his team that they should concentrate on their own performance instead of worrying about the other teams.

Things looked a bit brighter during FP2, with Hamilton finishing sixth and Leclerc in eighth, though they’re still lagging behind McLaren.

Leclerc expressed a sense of urgency, suggesting that a “miracle” is necessary to turn their fortunes around this weekend.

“It was a very, very difficult Friday. Probably the worst Friday of the season,” Leclerc remarked post-session. “Getting back into the swing of things after the holidays was a bit of a wake-up call. We’ve had tough Fridays before, and now it’s up to us to make some changes. Certainly, FP1 was not easy.”

He identified McLaren and Aston Martin as the teams to keep an eye on this weekend.

“McLaren is up there with Aston Martin, so we can’t expect a complete turnaround. This has caught us by surprise. There’s a lot to address, and we’re working on improving the car,” Leclerc added.

He lamented that they are losing a significant amount of time due to just two corners, saying, “Right now, we can’t handle the car as it is. We’re focused on understanding those two corners and figuring out a solution.”