Charles Leclerc wants to be "in the fight for pole" at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, having shown strong pace in the two Thursday practice sessions.
The Ferrari driver topped FP1 in Nevada before going third-fastest in the second hour of running under the lights of Sin City.
His FP2 came to a premature end, following a gearbox issue. As his SF-25 made its way out on track as the session resumed after the first red flag period, there was evidently an issue.
The Monegaque driver pulled to one side and was fortunate enough not to miss any significant running with a second red flag disruption soon after, again — like the first interruption — due to a suspected loose manhole cover.
After the session, Leclerc was called before the stewards for allegedly not replacing the steering wheel on his car or turning off ERS.
However, he was acquitted of any potential breach, and the 28-year-old described the situation as a "misunderstanding".
Reflecting on the first evening of running at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit, the eight-time grand prix winner said: "I think, honestly, we are not in a bad place, but we need to wait and see.
"I think the Mercedes is very strong, and obviously McLaren and Red Bull are also in the fight. So it's going to be tight.
"I just hope we can build from now and be in the fight for pole. But it's been a positive Friday. I think the pace was strong."
When asked how he would prepare for FP3 and qualifying, given how much the slippery, low-grip street track resets after being reopened to the public during the day, Leclerc revealed he already knew what he wanted to change on his Ferrari.
"It's all about trying to anticipate what the conditions of tomorrow will be like and making sure that we start on the right foot," he explained.
"But I have pretty clear ideas of what I want to do with the car to try and improve it, and we'll see tomorrow if these were the right choices."
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