Motorsport Week
  • Formula 1
    • 2025 Formula 1 Calendar
    • 2025 Formula 1 Standings
  • Formula E
    • 2025 Formula E Calendar
    • 2025 Formula E Standings
  • IndyCar
    • 2025 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2025 IndyCar Standings
  • WRC
    • 2025 WRC Standings
    • 2025 WRC Calendar
  • MotoGP
    • 2025 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2025 MotoGP Standings
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
  • WEC
    • 2025 WEC Calendar
  • IMSA
    • 2025 IMSA Calendar
  • World SBK
  • More
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • F1 Academy
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
No Result
View All Result
  • Formula 1
    • 2025 Formula 1 Calendar
    • 2025 Formula 1 Standings
  • Formula E
    • 2025 Formula E Calendar
    • 2025 Formula E Standings
  • IndyCar
    • 2025 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2025 IndyCar Standings
  • WRC
    • 2025 WRC Standings
    • 2025 WRC Calendar
  • MotoGP
    • 2025 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2025 MotoGP Standings
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
  • WEC
    • 2025 WEC Calendar
  • IMSA
    • 2025 IMSA Calendar
  • World SBK
  • More
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • F1 Academy
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
No Result
View All Result
Motorsport Week
Home Single Seater Formula 1

Leclerc: ‘Bit of a shame’ to be P4 with ‘really good lap’ at Suzuka

by Taylor Powling
2 years ago
A A
0
Leclerc: ‘Bit of a shame’ to be P4 with ‘really good lap’ at Suzuka

Charles Leclerc (MON) Ferrari SF-23. 23.09.2023. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 17, Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka, Japan, Qualifying Day.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Charles Leclerc says it was a “bit of a shame” to end fourth in qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix after putting in a “really, really good lap”.

Amid excessive tyre degradation at Suzuka this weekend, Ferrari had used up more Soft tyres earlier in qualifying, leaving both Leclerc and team-mate Carlos Sainz with only a solitary run each in the final segment.

Leclerc, though, was still able to produce a fine final run to secure a place on the second row for the race, three-tenths ahead of Sainz.

But despite out-qualifying Sainz for the first time since the summer break, Leclerc admits he was moderately disappointed that such a good lap didn’t yield a better result.

RelatedPosts

The 2025 Monaco GP will see the introduction of a mandatory two-stop race strategy

Why George Russell fears new two-stop Monaco F1 rule could hurt Mercedes

1 hour ago
APEX F1 car on track. 20.07.2023. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 12, Hungarian Grand Prix, Budapest, Hungary, Preparation Day

‘The best racing movie of all time’: Drivers react to upcoming F1 film

2 hours ago

Asked if he was happy with his qualifying performance, Leclerc said: “Happy’s a big word, but happy with my own performance yes, because I think it was a really, really good lap and I don’t think there was much left in that lap so that was great. I mean it’s only P4 so that’s a bit of a shame.”

Leclerc concedes that his qualifying run would have been even “more enjoyable” if Ferrari were in a position to fight for pole position like it had been this time last year.

“It feels amazing [to drive a lap of Suzuka], but it’s a bit disappointing when you finish such a great lap and then you’re P4, seven-tenths off too, so yeah it’s good but it could be more enjoyable if we were fighting for top positions,” he added.

After suffering an unexpected slump in competitiveness at Singapore to bring an end to its record-winning run, Red Bull has rebounded to be in ominous form at Suzuka.

Max Verstappen topped all three practice sessions before surging to pole position by almost six-tenths from the leading McLaren of rookie Oscar Piastri.

Leclerc believes that Ferrari lost the bulk of its time to Verstappen’s Red Bull and the McLarens through the opening sector.

“It’s crazy [the gap], they’ve [Red Bull] been really on it, straight from FP1 we understood there was quite a bit of work to do, especially in sector one for some reason, because in sector one we are basically losing most of the time we are losing around the lap.

“So this we need to look into because it might help us to understand where we need to work and where our car is weak at the moment.

“Also if you look compared to the McLaren that’s where we’ve been struggling. Just on that lap in Q3 I did a really good sector one, but we’re still far off so we need to work on that.”

Charles Leclerc (MON) Ferrari. 23.09.2023. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 17, Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka, Japan, Qualifying Day

Leclerc will line up on the grid behind the McLaren pair but ahead of the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez, who was over seven-tenths adrift of his team-mate at the top.

However, the Monegasque reckons Perez will be much improved tomorrow, while also predicting that Ferrari’s similar race pace to McLaren will make it tough to overhaul them.

“I think the Red Bulls will be very good, because as much as there was quite a big difference between Max and Checo in the low fuel I think in the high fuel they were much closer together, so I expect Checo to be quicker tomorrow,” he assessed.

“The McLaren we are much closer to them in terms of race pace, but they will probably have free air so it’s going to be difficult to overtake them… but maybe with strategy or at the start, so let’s see.”

The drivers have documented the severe degradation levels since hitting the track on Friday, and Leclerc anticipates tomorrow’s encounter to be one predominantly dominated by tyre management.

“Yes, especially with the very warm temperatures this year the overheating is really, really bad, so I expect it will be all about the tyre management tomorrow and the strategy”, he noted.

Although Ferrari has encountered trouble with managing the tyres throughout the season, Leclerc is convinced that the team has begun to get on top of its problems.

“It looks like we’re going in the right direction [regarding tyre wear], but let’s wait and see tomorrow and try and confirm that,” he concluded.

Tags: Charles LeclercF1FerrariJapaneseGP
Share200Tweet125Share

Related Posts

The 2025 Monaco GP will see the introduction of a mandatory two-stop race strategy
Formula 1

Why George Russell fears new two-stop Monaco F1 rule could hurt Mercedes

1 hour ago
APEX F1 car on track. 20.07.2023. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 12, Hungarian Grand Prix, Budapest, Hungary, Preparation Day
Formula 1

‘The best racing movie of all time’: Drivers react to upcoming F1 film

2 hours ago
Lando Norris has downplayed Red Bull's pace at slow speed
Formula 1

Lando Norris dismisses perceived Red Bull 2025 F1 weakness

16 hours ago
Load More

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Upcoming Races

#EventDate
8Monaco GP23-25 May
9Spanish GP30 May-01 June
10Canadian GP13-15 June
11Austrian GP27-29 June
12British GP04-06 July

Click here for the full 2025 F1 calendar

Drivers’  Standings

#DriverPts
4Oscar Piastri146
1Lando Norris133
2Max Verstappen124
3George Russell99
10Charles Leclerc62
9Lewis Hamilton53
5Andrea Kimi Antonelli48
6Alexander Albon40
7Esteban Ocon14
8Lance Stroll14

Click here for full Drivers’ Standings

Latest Articles

The 2025 Monaco GP will see the introduction of a mandatory two-stop race strategy
Formula 1

Why George Russell fears new two-stop Monaco F1 rule could hurt Mercedes

May 23, 2025
APEX F1 car on track. 20.07.2023. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 12, Hungarian Grand Prix, Budapest, Hungary, Preparation Day
Formula 1

‘The best racing movie of all time’: Drivers react to upcoming F1 film

May 23, 2025
Lando Norris has downplayed Red Bull's pace at slow speed
Formula 1

Lando Norris dismisses perceived Red Bull 2025 F1 weakness

May 22, 2025

Follow Motorsport Week

Join our daily motorsport newsletter

* indicates required

Motorsport Week

© 2024 Motorsport Media Services Ltd

Other Links

  • About & Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Motorsport Monday

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Home
  • Formula 1
    • Latest News
    • 2025 F1 Calendar
    • 2025 F1 Championship Standings
  • Formula E
    • Latest News
    • 2025 FE Calendar
    • 2025 FE Championship Standings
  • MotoGP
    • Latest News
    • 2025 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2025 MotoGP Standings
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
  • WRC
    • Latest News
    • 2025 WRC Calendar
    • 2025 WRC Standings
  • IndyCar
    • Latest News
    • 2025 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2025 IndyCar Standings
  • WEC
    • Latest News
    • 2025 WEC Calendar
  • Live Updates
  • Other
    • IMSA
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • F1 Academy
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
  • Galleries
  • About/Contact
  • Privacy Policy

© 2024 Motorsport Media Services Ltd