Charles Leclerc is just not writing off his drivers’ championship hopes this early into the season, however says Ferrari wants to search out solutions to its qualifying issues shortly to maintain him in competition.
Ferrari entered this yr anticipating to problem for each titles after falling simply 14 factors in need of profitable 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 exhibiting sturdy efficiency, however says qualifying fourth was the costliest difficulty that the crew must resolve.
“I feel we’re shut on race tempo,” Leclerc mentioned. “I feel free air dictates who’s going to win the race a bit of bit. That’s at all times been the case. Perhaps this yr a bit of bit greater than different years. And clearly when that’s the case, qualifying is extra essential. However sadly, for 2 years, we’re simply struggling in qualifying to place every part 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, really, the primary sector was in all probability the most effective sector we had. So we’ve obtained to take a look at that.
“Clearly, there are solutions in what we’re doing, and we’re doing one thing improper, 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 taking a look at 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 automobile efficiency that’s missing.
“I really feel like we’ve maximized completely every part we may have this weekend – there wasn’t something extra within the automobile,” Leclerc mentioned. “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 automobile steadiness. I really feel very relaxed with the automobile in a method that I do know I can extract the utmost out of the automobile most of the time, however sadly, the automobile potential is simply not adequate to battle for higher in qualifying.
“Within the race, the great automobile steadiness had outcomes. We have been all stunned by our tempo in free air on the primary stint. That was actually good. Every little thing else was completely executed. Technique was nice. Pit stops have been nice the entire season and in addition the entire of final yr as nicely. There wasn’t rather more we may have executed.”
