Charles Leclerc unhappy as Ferrari upgrades fail to improve pace
Motorsport photo
Charles Leclerc was pleased with his performance in qualifying ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but the Ferrari driver said his SF-25 still wasn't where he wants it to be.
'I'm not happy, I'm really not happy,' Leclerc told reporters including Motorsport.com after qualifying fourth at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
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'Finishing P4 in qualifying is really good, I put everything out there, but for now the performance of the car is just not there,' he continued. 'I either have massive understeer or massive oversteer, but the end result is that I don't have enough grip to reproduce what the guys in front do.'
Leclerc said he was maximizing the car's potential, but the gap to the frontrunners was still too significant. 'At the moment I feel good in the car. I think I found the sweet spot of the car that matches my driving style,' he explained.
'I feel like in the last three qualifying sessions I managed to maximize the potential of the car, but the potential is just not yet at the level I want.'
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The Monegasque also addressed the upgrades Ferrari brought to Jeddah, noting they didn't help close the gap.
'I'm a bit disappointed because we had a few upgrades that should have helped but the gap [to the frontrunners] seems to be pretty similar to before,' he said. '[The upgrades] do work, but unfortunately I feel like the others have done as much of a step, which means that the gap hasn't really changed.'
Photos from Saudi Arabian GP - Practice & Qualifying
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Lars Baron - Motorsport Images
Lars Baron - Motorsport Images
Jack Doohan, Alpine
Jack Doohan, Alpine
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Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing
Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
Lando Norris, McLaren
Lando Norris, McLaren
Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
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Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Carlos Sainz, Williams
Carlos Sainz, Williams
Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing
Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing
Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
George Russell, Mercedes
George Russell, Mercedes
Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Susie Wolff, Managing Director of F1 Academy
Susie Wolff, Managing Director of F1 Academy
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
Oliver Oakes, Alpine, Flavio Briatore, Executive Advisor of Alpine F1
Oliver Oakes, Alpine, Flavio Briatore, Executive Advisor of Alpine F1
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Romain Grosjean
Romain Grosjean
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Lando Norris, McLaren
Lando Norris, McLaren
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari
Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Zak Brown, McLaren
Zak Brown, McLaren
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Peter Fox - Getty Images
George Russell, Mercedes
George Russell, Mercedes
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Lando Norris, McLaren
Lando Norris, McLaren
Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber
Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber
Lars Baron - Motorsport Images
Lars Baron - Motorsport Images
Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber
Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber
Lars Baron - Motorsport Images
Lars Baron - Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Red Bull Racing pit crew ready for a pitstop
Red Bull Racing pit crew ready for a pitstop
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Lando Norris, McLaren
Lando Norris, McLaren
Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
George Russell, Mercedes
George Russell, Mercedes
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
Red Bull Content Pool
Red Bull Content Pool
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Lando Norris, McLaren
Lando Norris, McLaren
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Red Bull Content Pool
Red Bull Content Pool
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Lando Norris, McLaren
Lando Norris, McLaren
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Lando Norris, McLaren
Lando Norris, McLaren
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Peter Fox - Getty Images
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls
Red Bull Content Pool
Red Bull Content Pool
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Red Bull Content Pool
Red Bull Content Pool
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Clive Rose / Getty Images
Clive Rose / Getty Images
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Giuseppe Cacace - AFP - Getty Images
Giuseppe Cacace - AFP - Getty Images
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, George Russell, Mercedes
Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, George Russell, Mercedes
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
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