Charles Leclerc Concedes Ferrari’s Disappointing Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix Qualifying Performance
Charles Leclerc has admitted that Ferrari’s qualifying performance at the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix was “further away than anticipated” from its rivals, leaving him to settle for a fifth-place start on the grid. The Maranello-based team had high hopes of rebounding from a challenging outing in Canada with a substantial upgrade package accelerated to this weekend’s race in Barcelona. However, despite showing promise in practice, Ferrari was unable to compete with McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes come qualifying.
Leclerc, who ended up 0.384 seconds behind Lando Norris’ pole position benchmark, was pleased with his personal rebound from earlier practice struggles but lamented not having the inherent pace to trouble the teams ahead. The Monegasque driver explained that he had a difficult time until qualifying, especially in FP1 and FP2, where he struggled to find the rhythm due to lost track time and tyre sets.
“We were further away than what we had anticipated.”
Although Ferrari locked out the third row with Carlos Sainz qualifying sixth, Leclerc was disappointed with the pace of the car, acknowledging that they were “further away than what we had anticipated.” He believes that the developments Ferrari introduced this weekend have worked as intended but suspects that track characteristics are behind its woes.
Leclerc stressed that while other teams have also brought upgrades, Ferrari needs to focus on optimising its new package to close the gap. He denied that Ferrari has fallen behind its competitors, instead attributing the disappointing showing to underdelivering on its ultimate potential.
When asked about the change in the order at the top, Leclerc believes that Ferrari was the one that underperformed, rather than a significant shift in the balance of power. He acknowledged that McLaren is getting better and better, especially on a track like Barcelona, which is reputed to be representative of the performance of the cars throughout the season.
However, Leclerc was adamant that Ferrari’s uncompetitive standing meant he could not be satisfied that Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s dominance looks to be at an end. With two cars ahead by three-tenths and a half, he retorted that it’s not really encouraging for Ferrari.
As the Formula 1 standings remain tight, Ferrari will need to regroup and refocus for the Spanish Grand Prix race. With the latest upgrade package, they will hope to make up ground and challenge the top teams.
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