Charles Leclerc expressed his belief that Ferrari is in a competitive position to challenge Max Verstappen and his Red Bull team during races, likening their performance to being on a “similar planet” as the Italian outfit.
Despite this optimism, Leclerc found himself facing an unexpected setback during qualifying, where he ended up behind both the McLarens and Fernando Alonso, a situation he described as a “bad surprise.”
Leclerc acknowledged that Ferrari had hoped for a stronger showing in qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix. However, he and his teammate Carlos Sainz will start the race on Sunday from the sixth and seventh positions, respectively.
Explaining the reasons behind Ferrari’s comparatively lower pace in qualifying, the 26-year-old driver revealed that adjustments made between the sprint and qualifying sessions were aimed at enhancing race performance.
He admitted, “On my side, specifically, I had the car that I think would be better for the race tomorrow, and I knew I will leave something on the table for qualifying.”
Despite this strategic decision, Leclerc conceded that the extent of their fall in qualifying positions was more significant than anticipated, expressing that it was “more positions” compromised than Ferrari would have preferred.
“I don’t think we were expecting McLaren and Fernando [Alonso] to jump us as well, which has probably been overdone a little bit, but I think we are in a good place for tomorrow – tyre management will be a big thing tomorrow,” he contended.
“We have good race pace, good tyre management, so I’m confident we can come back on the podium tomorrow, but obviously it was a bit of a bad surprise to be overtaken by the McLarens and Fernando.”
Despite a qualifying session that left much to be desired, the five-time race winner remains confident in Ferrari’s ability to challenge Verstappen in terms of race pace.
“Yes, once again,” he concurred when asked about Verstappen’s dominant performance in qualifying, clinching pole position with a time three-tenths quicker than Sergio Perez in second place.
“In the race, I think we are in a similar planet,” he remarked, though he tempered his statement by adding, “I mean, he’s still very, very strong, and I’m uncertain about how much he was pushing this morning [in the sprint].
“But whenever they are struggling a bit more with the front axle, then we are here, not too far away. So, it all depends how quickly we get through [the McLarens and Fernando Alonso] tomorrow.
“Obviously, it going to be very difficult to walk through and take him, as he will have free air from the first lap.”
Leclerc has openly discussed the challenges he has faced in qualifying throughout this year, expressing a sense of dissatisfaction with his performance and believing that there is still room for improvement, especially considering his expectations for a stronger outcome at the Shanghai International Circuit.
“Did I do a step forward [in qualifying form]? For sure, yes. Is it enough? For sure, not,” remarked the driver who has clinched pole position 23 times.
