Leclerc downbeat after 'tough' Dutch GP practice

Charles Leclerc has stated he is not expecting to be in the fight at the front of the field following a difficult day of practice at Zandvoort.

The Monegasque driver ended the second practice outing ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix in ninth place.

Ferrari has struggled for pace at recent F1 events compared to its rivals Red Bull, McLaren and Mercedes who have consistently been in contention for race victories.

Leclerc conceded he anticipates the situation to be similar this weekend in Zandvoort.

“It was tough, as expected,” he said. “We don’t quite have the pace as the guys in front, unfortunately. 

“I think it’s better than what it looks like on the timesheet at the end of the day but not quite in the fight for the win for sure. 

“There’s still quite a lot of work to do for sure, that’s what we’re doing. I hope it will pay off soon.”

Leclerc added he is hopeful the adverse weather conditions that are predicted for Saturday offer an opportunity for Ferrari. 

“I really hope so, I will try to do something special in qualifying but we are speaking of gaps at the moment that are a bit too big to do something special,” Leclerc stated. 

“If we manage to get within two or three-tenths, maybe there’s something to be done. If not, I predict a difficult weekend for us.”