Leclerc Reflects on Singapore GP: Admits Doubts on Matching Norris’ Pace and Rues Qualifying Struggles

Charles Leclerc questions if Ferrari matched Lando Norris' speed "in the vehicle" during the Singapore Grand Prix

Reflecting on the performance, Leclerc expressed uncertainty about their competitiveness, stating, "Initially, I believed so, but after considering the speed of the McLaren, and Max's, I'm left wondering how much we actually fell short today."

Charles Leclerc is skeptical that Ferrari could have contested Lando Norris for the Formula 1 win at the Singapore Grand Prix, even with an ideal qualifying session.

Leclerc ended up in ninth place during the qualifying round, as his top lap time was disqualified for going beyond the track boundaries.

Even if it hadn't been removed, it's improbable that Leclerc would have begun any better than seventh, given his battle with insufficient traction on his last lap.

During the race, Leclerc managed to come back and secure a fifth-place finish, trailing closely behind George Russell from Mercedes.

Considering the outcome of the race, Leclerc questions whether a victory at the Marina Bay Street Circuit was feasible, irrespective of his starting position.

"Reflecting on the speed of the McLaren and Max, I'm uncertain about how many points we've lost today," Leclerc shared with Adam Cooper of F1.

"George, without a doubt, my impression was that our car was in a position to end up leading. I haven't looked back at the speed of the others yet, but from what I've gathered about Lando's performance, it seems we didn't quite match that with our vehicle, and I'm unsure about how the rest were faring behind him.

"A slight setback was experienced. In my view, today marked a significant rebound. However, once more, we suffered due to a poor qualifying session. It's inevitable that I'll have off days on Saturdays, and there will be times when I excel in qualifying too. Yet, today, I faced the consequences of a less-than-ideal Saturday."

Leclerc's opportunity to secure a top-three finish was significantly hindered by Nico Hulkenberg and Fernando Alonso during the initial phase of the competition.

As soon as the driver from Monaco was set loose, he demonstrated impressive speed.

Despite expressing some irritation over the team radio, Leclerc still appreciated the challenge of advancing through the ranks.

"Absolutely, I enjoyed it," he confirmed. "The excitement really kicked in from the conclusion of the initial phase right through to the final laps. However, the initial 25 laps felt like a bad dream, as I was essentially powerless, trailing behind Fernando and Nico."

"I was eagerly anticipating their need to pit stop imminently due to the traffic trailing them, yet that moment never arrived, and they continued for an extended period. My only option was to be patient."

"Overall, from that point forward, the race went well for us. Once they went into the pits, we took full advantage of our position to maximize our points. We did, however, suffer somewhat due to a poor qualifying session yesterday."

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