Ferrari says Leclerc "will be able to attack" with new engine: "We will get points back"

After starting from the back of the pack at the Canadian Grand Prix and climbing up the grid to fifth, Charles Leclerc is ready to take on his rivals with the new Ferrari engine installed in his car for the Montreal race. At least this is what team boss Mattia Binotto believes, and he commented on the Italian team's planning for the Monegasque to finish last at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Binotto explained that the decision to change Leclerc's engine was made right after the Azerbaijan race - when the #16 broke down and saw Max Verstappen secure another victory for Red Bull. Thus, Charles had time to mentally control himself, especially in relation to the large number of overtakes he would need to make.

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"It was something we decided quickly after Baku, so he was already aware many days before [that he would start last]," Binotto said. "So he had time to digest and prepare for the weekend. It is certainly frustrating for the driver, and racing requires you to control the passion a lot, which was the case. Because sometimes you want to overtake when you can't, because of the speed on the straight or the tire temperature," he said.

At the end of the race, the fifth place was considered a good result by the team, Binotto admitted. Besides the points added by the Monegasque, the new power unit installed in his car is a breath of fresh air for Ferrari, which needs to recover the lost ground in the two ongoing F1 championships - in which Verstappen and Red Bull lead.

"We limited the damage by starting at the bottom of the grid, and finishing fifth is still a good result," Binotto noted. "Now we have a new power unit for the next few races. The four stages before the summer break will certainly be important for him [Leclerc], who will be able to attack and we will try to recover some points where we can," he finished.