Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has lamented a poor Singapore Grand Prix weekend thus far, having certified seventh at a Components 1 observe the place he's a two-time polesitter.
Leclerc was second-fastest in Free Follow 1 however dropped to ninth and tenth within the subsequent two classes, earlier than taking eighth, sixth and seventh throughout the three qualifying segments.
“We obtained off to a very good begin in FP1,” Leclerc defined to Canal+. “Then we needed to make some tweaks, and sadly we've been struggling since FP2 – particularly me, I have to say, as I used to be nowhere in FP2 and FP3.”
“I've been fully unable to really feel the automotive during the last two weekends, and what's bizarre is that has been on avenue circuits the place I sometimes am slightly assured. We have to work and perceive what's mistaken, as a result of I'm not on the degree the place I needs to be and we're dropping factors.”
Leclerc was outqualified by team-mate Lewis Hamilton – whose efficiency he labelled “impeccable” – for the primary time because the British GP, with a lap 0.096s slower in Q3.
This had a lot to do with the SF-25's behaviour, with Leclerc explaining to Sky Sports activities F1 that he was “actually, actually struggling to search out the grip”.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Photograph by: Glenn Dunbar / LAT Photos through Getty Photos
“I've numerous understeer on the automotive, however the automotive continues to be very snappy and unpredictable, and I do know that it isn't my energy at any time when there's understeer within the automotive,” he added.
“This weekend [it] has been the case from FP2 to qualifying, and we do not actually discover any methods out with out making the automotive much more unpredictable, which isn't what you need on a metropolis observe, so it has been a really, very robust weekend.”
This follows one other difficult weekend in Baku – a observe the place Leclerc took 4 consecutive pole positions from 2021 to 2024 however was not in rivalry final time round, crashing out in Q3 and ending the race ninth.
Requested if his present wrestle was circuit-specific, the Monegasque contemplated: “I hope it is circuit-specific, however for now I do not fairly have the reason, as a result of it isn't like we modified massively the automotive within the final two races.”
Leclerc had been pinning his hopes on these two avenue tracks and is now seeking to Las Vegas – “perhaps” – as Ferrari's fundamental likelihood of victory in 2025, although he admittedly is “much less hopeful now”, as he advised written media within the post-qualifying pen.
“We aren't anyplace near being on the extent of McLaren, Crimson Bull and really now Mercedes – on some events, and really fairly lately, they've simply been a step [ahead].”
Championship-wise, if the ultimate classification of the Singapore GP have been an identical to the beginning grid, Ferrari's deficit to second-placed Mercedes would balloon from 4 to 27 factors, and Crimson Bull could be simply 10 factors away from the Scuderia – therefore the aforementioned “we're dropping factors” remark.
Extra reporting by Sam Shephard
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