Charles Leclerc just isn’t writing off his drivers’ championship hopes this early into the season, however says Ferrari wants to search out solutions to its qualifying issues rapidly to maintain him in rivalry.
Ferrari entered this yr anticipating to problem for each titles after falling simply 14 factors wanting successful the constructors’ championship final season, however has struggled to this point and Leclerc’s third place within the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was its first podium of 2025. Leclerc completed simply eight factors behind race winner Oscar Piastri after displaying robust efficiency, however says qualifying fourth was the costliest difficulty that the group must resolve.
“I feel we’re shut on race tempo,” Leclerc stated. “I feel free air dictates who’s going to win the race a bit bit. That’s at all times been the case. Possibly this yr a bit bit greater than different years. And clearly when that’s the case, qualifying is extra necessary. However sadly, for 2 years, we’re simply struggling in qualifying to place all the things collectively.
“This weekend the issue is it’s not at all times the identical difficulty. This time it was 4 tenths within the first three corners. For the remainder of the lap, we have been quick. And within the race, truly, the primary sector was most likely one of the best sector we had. So we’ve obtained to have a look at that.
“Clearly, there are solutions in what we’re doing, and we’re doing one thing flawed, clearly. We’ve obtained to search out it. We can’t lose too many races earlier than discovering it as a result of we’re already 50 factors down within the drivers’ championship. We’re not it an excessive amount of, however 50 factors is a giant quantity. I don’t wish to be shedding extra factors than that within the subsequent few races.”
Leclerc ran lengthy on medium tires and led for a spell earlier than making a later pit cease for hards than a lot of his rivals, permitting him to climb into the highest three. Eager to reward the best way Ferrari executed on each Saturday and Sunday, he believes it’s only automotive efficiency that’s missing.
“I really feel like we’ve maximized completely all the things we might have this weekend – there wasn’t something extra within the automotive,” Leclerc stated. “I feel we have to give attention to qualifying as a result of it’s been a really very long time I haven’t been as pleased with the automotive steadiness. I really feel very relaxed with the automotive in a approach that I do know I can extract the utmost out of the automotive as a rule, however sadly, the automotive potential is simply not adequate to struggle for higher in qualifying.
“Within the race, the great automotive steadiness had outcomes. We have been all stunned by our tempo in free air on the primary stint. That was actually good. Every part else was completely executed. Technique was nice. Pit stops have been nice the entire season and likewise the entire of final yr as properly. There wasn’t far more we might have performed.”
