Charles Leclerc felt positive after a strong-looking day for the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team racer at the Hockenheimring on Friday, with the Monegasque driver finishing both Free Practice sessions inside the top ten.
Leclerc, who has been actively linked to a move to Scuderia Ferrari in place of Kimi Räikkönen in 2019, finished ninth fastest in his C37-Ferrari in the morning session on Formula 1’s return to Germany after a year’s absence, before improving to eighth in the afternoon.
The reigning FIA Formula 2 champion said that there was good race pace in the car as well, which he hopes can lead to another strong result in a year where he is really making a name for himself, having scored points in five of the first ten races, including a sixth-place finish in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
“It was a pretty good day for us, finishing the two free practice sessions in P9 and P8,” said Leclerc. “The car feels good and I feel comfortable driving on this track.
“We also had a good race pace, so things are looking positive so far.”
Leclerc joined the chorus of drivers commenting about the struggles faced with the high track temperatures and tyre degradation, and he can see problems rising should race conditions be held in similar conditions to what was seen on Friday.
“If the weather conditions stay the way they are, it will be a challenge for everyone to manage the high temperatures,” said Leclerc. “We have to build on the things we have learned today and keep working for tomorrow – hopefully we continue having good results.”
