According to Charles Leclerc, both he and Lewis Hamilton perceive themselves as “passengers” within Ferrari’s Formula 1 vehicle, finding it challenging to surpass its limitations and regain positions on the podium.
Ferrari encountered difficult stretches in both Baku and Singapore, where the chance of a top-five finish eluded the Scuderia in both qualifying rounds and the actual race. This dearth of speed was intensified by pronounced issues with the braking system specifically at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Leclerc stated after securing sixth place in Singapore, “From the eighth lap, it essentially became about managing the brakes.” He continued, “I believe everyone needs to manage to some degree on a track like this, but we found ourselves on the more challenging side, making things exceptionally difficult. Our entire race was remarkably complicated.”
In Baku, Leclerc had facilitated Hamilton’s advance, granting him an opportunity to challenge the cars positioned ahead. However, the Briton did not restore the position to his teammate. The intention was for him to do so in Singapore, but escalating brake malfunctions caused him to fall behind Leclerc regardless.
The Monegasque driver, however, emphasized, “I truly don’t believe that this constitutes the team’s most pressing concern at this juncture.”
“Regrettably, we lack the necessary racing car to compete with the leading teams. McLaren has consistently maintained a similar advantage over us since the start of the year. Red Bull improved from Monza, achieving a level comparable to McLaren. Mercedes has now reached a similar level as McLaren and Red Bull, leaving us behind.”
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Photo by: Shameem Fahath / Motorsport Network
“It’s undeniably challenging because our ambition is to contend for more favorable positions. However, at this point, it feels as though we are merely passengers in the car, unable to extract significantly more from it.”
The sense of being a ‘passenger’ likely extends to the SF-25’s handling characteristics, which Leclerc characterized as prone to understeer, yet “still highly sensitive and unpredictable” during the qualifying session.
Therefore, his outlook concerning the remaining six races of the season is pessimistic: “The performance we’ve seen this weekend is indicative of how the rest of the season will unfold for us.”
This situation is difficult to accept for the driver who has achieved 27 pole positions and secured eight grand prix victories, especially after Ferrari narrowly missed overtaking McLaren for the 2024 constructors’ title by 14 points, and who had not faced such underperformance since the 2021 season.
“Coming from a year like the previous one, when we were in contention for the world constructors’ championship, and then arriving here with elevated expectations, only to see them fall short from the beginning without any sign of progress throughout the year, is undoubtedly disheartening,” Leclerc conceded, while reaffirming his unwavering dedication to overcoming this adversity.
“It demands considerable energy, but far from demotivating me, it serves as an even greater incentive to attempt to reverse the situation.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
