Formula 1’s Charles Leclerc has candidly shared the ongoing challenges he is facing on the track, most notably in China, which have contributed to his performance lagging behind that of his Ferrari team-mate, Lewis Hamilton.
In his second race weekend with Ferrari, Hamilton showcased his prowess by securing his first-ever pole position with the renowned Italian brand, pushing past Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. On the other hand, Leclerc, despite his best efforts, fell short and found himself in fourth place, trailing behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and the seven-time F1 champion, Hamilton.
Leclerc has consistently found himself behind Hamilton, a trend that was evident during the standalone practice hour and remained unchanged throughout all three segments of the Sprint grid-determining session. Leclerc attributes his struggle to issues with getting the car to rotate through the first set of corners, a problem that has been a recurring theme since last year.
Leclerc confessed, “From the start, I felt I was a step behind Lewis, who was faster today”. He further noted his struggles in Turns 1, 2, 3, which he acknowledged were similar to those he faced the previous year. “It’s a bit of a shame,” he regretfully observed, “but apart from that everything was quite tight. It’s a shame we start P4. But Lewis is on pole, and hopefully, we can have a good race tomorrow.”
Although Leclerc expressed a greater level of confidence in the SF-25 Ferrari during the practice session, he admitted it was still not enough to match the time set by Hamilton. Describing the FP1 track conditions as “very difficult”, he explained how the team had struggled to align everything perfectly. Despite some improvements during qualifying, Leclerc shared that there were still areas that needed work before the race.
Leclerc went on to highlight the pivotal role the tyres would play in the outcome of the 19-lap Sprint race at the Shanghai International Circuit, given the high demands the track places on them. He stated, “First we have a Sprint race which I think will be tricky around here with the tyres and we have to focus on that, then we’ll see about qualifying later on.”
With these revelations, Leclerc has shown his determination to overcome these ongoing challenges. As he battles the tracks and his own car, his resilience and commitment to improvement remain clear. With the race day looming, the world will eagerly watch to see if Leclerc can turn his struggles into triumphs.