Leclerc, who started in eighth place, completed 27 laps on a set of medium tires before switching to hard tires and defending fiercely to hold off Lando Norris’s McLaren.
The Monegasque driver was eventually overtaken by his teammate, Carlos Sainz, who finished third behind the Red Bull duo, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
Despite being voted Driver of the Day, Leclerc dropped to third place in the Formula 1 driver standings with 59 points, four more than his teammate Sainz. Verstappen leads the championship with 77 points, followed by Perez with 64.
« We executed an impressive strategy, managed our time well, and had a great pace, but it’s just not enough when you start in eighth, » Leclerc told Sky Sports.
« Normally, I don’t need to focus on qualifying days in my career, because it’s usually one of my strengths. But in Australia and here, I’ve been struggling, so I’ll focus on that.
« But usually, when I work on something, I improve quite quickly, so I’m confident, » he insisted.
Team boss Frederic Vasseur praised Ferrari for recovering from their disappointing performance in the practice sessions and qualifying.
« We had a strong Sunday with a good strategy and managed to bounce back. If we want to have a better weekend, we need to improve on Saturdays, » Vasseur added.
« We’ve made progress with the car during the winter, even in the last part of last year. Everyone in the team is much more confident and calm, and we’re doing a good job together, » the Frenchman stated.
Sainz once again delivered for Ferrari, securing his third podium in three races this season, following his win at the Australian Grand Prix.
L’espagnol, qui a manqué le Grand Prix d’Arabie saoudite en raison d’une appendicectomie, devrait perdre sa place dans l’équipe au profit du septuple champion du monde de Formule 1, Lewis Hamilton, en 2025.
« Malheureusement, je n’ai aucune idée d’où je serai l’année prochaine. Il est vrai que nous sommes en négociations avec plusieurs équipes », a déclaré Sainz.
« Je dois juste rester concentré sur ce que je fais et prouver à moi-même et à tous que je peux maximiser le potentiel d’une voiture rapide.
« Je livre, vous savez. Ça a été un bon début… Les équipes savent que je suis disponible. Voyons ce qui se passe », a conclu Sainz. (Reportage de Aadi Nair)
