Charles Leclerc is growing concerned about Ferrari’s competitive situation in Formula 1 in 2025 as he conceded he’s “expected more” at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Leclerc’s emergence as the lead Ferrari offered little solace as a five-tenth gap to team-mate Lewis Hamilton wasn’t enough to land him higher than fourth on the grid.
Like in Bahrain one week ago, Leclerc vacated the Ferrari with the sense that he had extracted the maximum possible with his equipment at his disposal over one lap.
The Monegasque had come into the weekend optimistic that the floor update the Italian marque introduced last weekend would provide a bigger step around Jeddah.
However, Leclerc’s 0.376-second margin to polesitter Max Verstappen, who pipped the McLaren of Oscar Piastri, has indicated that Ferrari has made minimal inroads.
That has caused a downbeat Leclerc to reiterate that Ferrari is reliant on adding more performance to the troubled SF-25 machine to get involved in the leading battle.
“I’m not happy,” Leclerc stated. “I’m really not happy.
“Finishing P4 in a qualifying session where the lap is really good, I put everything out there – but for now the performance of the car is just not there.
“I either have massive oversteer or massive understeer, but the end result is that I don’t have enough grip to produce what the guys in front do.
“At the moment I feel good in the car, I think I’ve found the sweet spot of the car that matches my driving style.
“I feel like in the last three qualifyings I’ve managed to maximise the potential of the car, but the potential is just not yet available what I want it.”
Leclerc concerned by Ferrari gap
Leclerc has disclosed that Ferrari’s initial deficit to pacesetters McLaren came as no surprise based on the disrupted pre-season test that the side endured in Bahrain.
But with his gap to pole even exceeding what it was in Bahrain, the eight-time F1 winner suggested he is worried Ferrari isn’t making the relative progress he expected.
“It’s the gap that we’ve expected since the beginning of the season,” he expanded.
“However, I’m a bit disappointed here because we had a few upgrades that I think should have helped for here – and [yet] the gap seems to be pretty similar.
“Unfortunately I feel like the others have done as much of a step – so the gap hasn’t really changed.”
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