Charles Leclerc expressed his disappointment after qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix, despite finishing just a tenth behind his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz. Leclerc and Ferrari had high hopes for the race at Suzuka, but their performance fell short. Sainz qualified in fourth place, while Leclerc was in eighth, both significantly slower than pole-sitter Max Verstappen. Leclerc admitted that he was slow and couldn’t understand why. He suspected that it had something to do with tire preparation, but the team remains optimistic about the rest of the season. Despite a difficult qualifying session, Leclerc managed to recover and will start the race from a respectable position. He believes that the lack of grip was the main issue and hopes to improve in future races. Leclerc struggled in the first two sectors of the track but was faster in the final sector. Ferrari acknowledges that Suzuka is a challenging track and that their rivals, Red Bull and McLaren, have an advantage in high-speed corners. Sainz believes that a win is unlikely but hopes to close the gap to his teammate Lando Norris. Overtaking at Suzuka is difficult, but Ferrari is confident in their race pace. Leclerc’s consistency in long runs is a positive sign for the team. Whether Ferrari can salvage a good result on Sunday remains to be seen.
Siegel's number 18 car already had a different design due to his major accident earlier in the week. Photo: Kevin DejewskiThe bump session for the Indy 500 on...
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