Leclerc senses 'opportunity' at Canadian GP

Charles Leclerc says Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix could beryllium different “opportunity” for Ferrari to hit Red Bull aft his triumph successful Monaco.

Leclerc, who became the 2nd driver to hit Max Verstappen successful 3 races, said nan Montreal circuit whitethorn beryllium different that does not suit Red Bull’s car.

Leclerc said: “Monaco was peculiarly favourable (for Ferrari). Maybe present it is neutral.

“I don’t deliberation it puts excessively overmuch successful ray nan spot of nan Red Bull truthful it mightiness again beryllium an opportunity for us.”

McLaren’s Lando Norris, who hit Verstappen’s Red Bull into 2nd spot successful Miami past month, said he believed Ferrari were “favourites” for triumph successful Canada. "But it is going to beryllium close,” he said.

Both Norris and Leclerc judge nan Red Bull’s limitations complete kerbs - 1 of nan cardinal reasons for their deficiency of gait successful Monaco, wherever Verstappen could decorativeness only sixth - could again beryllium a weakness astir Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Leclerc said: “I don’t deliberation their spot is kerb riding and present location is rather a batch of kerb riding.”

There is besides rainfall predicted astatine various points of nan weekend.

Verstappen said: “I ever knew Monaco would not beryllium an easy weekend. We had a bully guidance we wanted to activity in. It takes time, measurement by step. We will effort to amended that.

“This is simply a bully opportunity to find capacity we didn’t deliberation astir successful nan first place. There is rather a batch of thigh clip to beryllium unlocked from that and yet we are putting a batch of effort into that.

“We still person a speedy car but immoderate tracks conscionable activity a small spot amended for america than others. Here it is not conscionable nan way layout, it is dealing pinch nan upwind and really bedewed it is going to be.’”

Norris said that nan F1 section had closed up sufficiently that nan Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren drivers could each realistically caput into races believing they had a chance to win.

The 24-year-old Briton vanished little than a 2nd down Verstappen erstwhile nan Dutchman won successful Imola nan week earlier Monaco and his team-mate Oscar Piastri was 2nd successful Monaco.

Norris said: “The guys successful nan apical six cars, we are each coming into it reasoning possibly this is our play if we tin make an other small spot of difference, if we tin find that past 0.01secs.

“And that makes everyone push it moreover more, right? Kind of return that small spot much consequence and get that small spot much retired of themselves and that is an breathtaking time, pushing ourselves to nan absolute limit."

Leclerc, who trim Verstappen’s title lead to 31 points pinch his Monaco win, played down suggestions he was becoming a title contender.

“I americium not reasoning astir nan title yet,” Leclerc said, "but decidedly nan target is to beryllium capable to triumph races each weekend.

“I still judge Red Bull has nan precocious manus successful performance. Luckily for us, Imola, Monaco and astir apt this way is not putting successful ray nan strengths of their car.

“But I judge from (the adjacent title in) Barcelona onwards we mightiness spot a Red Bull much for illustration astatine nan opening of nan year.

“We request to return each opportunity and past erstwhile we person our adjacent upgrades hopefully it will thief america beryllium successful beforehand of them.”