Carlos Sainz, who will be leaving the Italian team at the end of the season to make way for seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, is currently just four points behind Leclerc in the standings. Despite missing the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to appendicitis, Sainz managed to secure podiums in all three races he competed in, and even emerged victorious in Australia after his return from surgery.
When asked about Sainz’s adaptation to the car compared to his own, Leclerc replied: « I believe it’s simply a matter of him performing better. » Recognizing the difficulties he faced in the opening race in Bahrain, Leclerc acknowledged Sainz’s superior performance in the following two races. He admitted: « Now it’s my responsibility to improve, especially in terms of qualifying pace, which has traditionally been one of my strengths. I’ve been struggling to put together a solid lap. »
Leclerc expressed confidence in his ability to quickly improve his qualifying performance, stating: « I’m not worried, but I need to show my progress on track, starting with tomorrow’s qualifying session. » Currently, Ferrari occupies the second position in the 2024 Formula 1 Constructors’ standings, behind Red Bull by 21 points. Red Bull’s three-time world champion, Max Verstappen, has won three out of the four races and has always started from pole position.
Lors du Grand Prix de Bahreïn, Sainz a assuré une troisième place, tandis que Leclerc a terminé quatrième. Les mêmes positions ont été répliquées au Japon, où Sainz a une fois de plus surpassé son coéquipier en qualifications. En Australie, Ferrari a réalisé un doublé. Leclerc estime que la Chine, qui fait son retour au calendrier après une absence de deux ans, sera un circuit plus favorable pour Ferrari par rapport à la course précédente au Japon, bien qu’il s’attende toujours à ce que Red Bull ait un avantage. (Rapport d’Alan Baldwin)
