Arthur Leclerc has shifted into endurance racing this season, racing in the European Le Mans Series after being overlooked by F1 teams.
The Monegasque driver raced in Formula 2 last season and didn’t hit the headlines, slumping to 15th in the championship standings.
After failing to find a way to continue in F2 or move up to Formula 1 for this season, Leclerc switched to the ELMS and LMP2 cars.
He adapted well to longer races after finishing fourth in the championship standings and taking a victory at Imola, just the third race of the season.
This represented a good start to the new chapter of his career in a very particular discipline of motorsport, away from single-seaters.
Leclerc had his first experience of a Hypercar in the World Endurance Championship when he drove at the Bahrain International Circuit in the Rookie Test.
He told sportscar365 that he struggled with certain aspects of the test in the Ferrari 499P at the Bahrain International Circuit.
Arthur Leclerc feels maximising the Hypercar requires a ‘completely different way of driving’
The Hypercar is a significant step up from the LMP2 car that Leclerc drove in the European Le Mans Series this season.
There is much more power and downforce, which raises the car’s performance in high-speed turns and straight-line performance.
Hypercars are also much more complicated than LMP2 cars, with hybrid systems that require energy management over a stint.
Leclerc feels he struggled slightly with traffic during the test, as LMGT3 cars and hypercars were also on the circuit.
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He said: “I was struggling with traffic, so it was a bit tricky to do a clean lap, but I think the car is thanks to the amazing work of Ferrari.
“It’s a completely different way of driving. Small mistakes can cost a lot in Hypercar. You can miss the braking point by two metres and end up ten metres wide! Things are a little bit heavy and costly. It’s quite a challenge to drive this car.”
Some drivers have struggled to adapt to Hypercars in WEC
The Hypercar category in the World Endurance Championship is very competitive, with complicated hybrid systems on the cars.
They are also heavier than a single-seater, making it difficult for a young driver to adjust to after racing in the categories below Formula 1.
Frederik Vesti drove for Cadillac in Bahrain and admitted he wasn’t completely confident in the car ahead of his IMSA debut next season.
Leclerc won’t drive the Ferrari 499P Hypercar in WEC next season as the focus is likely to be on GT cars as he continues to build experience in endurance racing.