Charles Leclerc has admitted he will have to attempt “something special” in the Miami Grand Prix Sprint to counter Ferrari’s pace deficit to the team’s Formula 1 rivals.
Leclerc came into the weekend expressing concern that Ferrari’s limitations with the problematic SF-25 would be exposed around the Miami International Autodrome.
The Monegasque’s worries were realised as he was restricted to sixth in Sprint Qualifying on Friday evening, one spot ahead of his Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton.
Leclerc was despondent as he conceded that the three-tenth margin to Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s pole-setting lap in the Mercedes was representative of Ferrari’s speed.
Asked how he was feeling about the result, Leclerc responded: “Bad. The lap was good, but the pace is just not at all there for now.
“So it’s a bit annoying, but it’s the way it is for now.
“I’ll try my best tomorrow to try and do something special with the start.
“But to be honest, there’s not much room for improvement today. It was just… that’s the pace of the car.”
Leclerc pinpointed that Ferrari was spurning time throughout the lap to the opposition, with the SF-25’s inherent weakness in slow speed accentuating the overall gap.
“It’s every corner, really,” he explained. “So it’s not like we are particularly weak in one type of corner.
“Yes, the slow speed seems to be a little bit more of our weakness, but it changes from one weekend to the other. So it’s just not great.”
Hamilton admits Ferrari ‘lacking speed’
Hamilton, who propped up more than two tenths behind Leclerc, echoed his team-mate’s sentiment as he rued not being as at ease with his car compared to practice.
“I thought it was a better session,” he reviewed. “FP1 was probably a bit better. The car was a bit nicer to drive in FP1.
“But yeah, we’re just lacking speed. But I’m… just keep working on from there.”
And the seven-time F1 champion adopted an identical stance to Leclerc when quizzed on the chances that he can make inroads during the weekend’s shortened race.
“I think all the cars ahead are faster,” he professed. “So, yeah, I don’t know what else to say.”
READ MORE – Kimi Antonelli claims historic pole position for Miami F1 Sprint
