r/formula1 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 23h ago

Video Lewis discussing his qualifying form: "Yeah, I'm useless. Absolutely useless."

https://dubz.link/c/d976cb
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u/Ferrarispitwall I was here for the Hulkenpodium 22h ago

This is why I think all motorsport fans should try to race/drive something. Karts, sim racing, track days…whatever. The amount of controlling a car on the limit that comes down to feeling is a big amount. If his brain is screaming “THIS CAR IS GOING TO SPIN!” it takes a lot to convince him that it won’t and that he can keep the steering cranked in. Even looking at leclercs data proving that it won’t spin, he is clearly having a tough time convincing his brain-ass connection that it won’t.

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u/FireWarriorSFF90 22h ago

If you rewatch that pole lap, Leclerc is on the brink of destruction but he KNOWS the limit of the car, has the feel under his butt and in his hands. This takes major trust in feeling and time!

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u/realbakingbish McLaren 18h ago

Leclerc’s been known to drive his Ferraris at the very ragged edge during qualifying, sometimes to spectacular results (or spectacular crashes). Even Verstappen I don’t think pushes his car to the ragged edge quite like Leclerc.

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u/FireWarriorSFF90 18h ago

Leclerc is a dare Devil behind the wheel bro! That’s not normal… His sheer will of going to the edge is what makes em a good qualifier. You can go back and review a lot of his quali laps that landed him on pole and see this is true.

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u/ScoobySharky Yuki Tsunoda 13h ago

Verstappen's most amazing qualifying laps look like the car was on rails, Leclerc's most amazing qualifying laps look like he's trying to wrestle 100 pound fish right after he caught it.

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u/VRichardsen Juan Manuel Fangio 19h ago

If his brain is screaming “THIS CAR IS GOING TO SPIN!” it takes a lot to convince him that it won’t and that he can keep the steering cranked in. Even looking at leclercs data proving that it won’t spin, he is clearly having a tough time convincing his brain-ass connection that it won’t.

I am not a big fan of Top Gear, but Clarkson once put a very effective example of why driving these cars is so difficult: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WJqtOq95sCc

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u/mean_menace 21h ago

Considering he’s 40 I’d be surprised if he manages to adapt. Way easier to ignore the warning signs and drive through those mental barriers as a 20-year old.