Leclerc diminishes Ferrari power unit concerns

Charles Leclerc has stated that the power unit issues experienced by Ferrari in Imola are "not a concern" for the team ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix.

Following the race in Italy, the 26-year-old explained that battery deployment issues hindered Ferrari's weekend, saying the team seemed to have a different power strategy to McLaren and Red Bull.

The Maranello outfit brought a slate of upgrades for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, with early expectations predicting it could help vault the team into the fight with the two teams ahead at the front of the field. 

However, despite impressing in both practice sessions on Friday, the updated package failed to deliver in qualifying, with both Leclerc and team-mate Carlos Sainz slower than the two McLarens and pole-sitter Max Verstappen. Oscar Piastri's grid penalty paved the way for Leclerc to earn a podium finish, but the Australian was able to re-pass Sainz behind during the pit stop phase.

"No, it's not a concern," the Monegasque driver asserted to media including RacingNews365 when asked if there was worry about the performance of the Ferrari power unit ahead of his home grand prix.

"Obviously, we have seen it in the last race a little bit. We've seen it in Jeddah a little bit, but I think it's more the way we manage everything. And that is not something that is set in stone that we cannot change short term, so we just have to look into it but it's no big deal."

'We've done a proper analysis on our side'

With Monaco less dependant on outright power than circuits like Imola and Jeddah, and with the efficiency and effectiveness of hybrid deployment being less critical, Leclerc does not believe it will be a deciding factor around the streets of Monte Carlo.

Despite that, the five-time grand prix winner did say that Ferrari had conducted an analysis of the issue, to prevent it being as much of a problem across the rest of the season.

"It seems that Red Bull and McLaren was on the positive side of things in Imola," he contended. "We missed a bit of time on that, so we have looked into it. 

"I don't think that here [in Monaco] it will make such a difference. It's a very different situation we are in. 

"However, it can for the rest of the season, so we've done a proper analysis on our side and I'm sure we'll grow from that."