Since his arrival in Formula 1 in 2018, Leclerc has gained a reputation for his impressive last-minute qualifying performances. Many consider him to be one of the top qualifiers in the sport, if not the best.
However, in recent races, the Ferrari driver has struggled in qualifying and has been outperformed by his teammate Carlos Sainz in two consecutive races – Australia and Japan. This is surprising as qualifying has not typically been Sainz’s strong suit.
During the Japanese Grand Prix last weekend, Leclerc qualified in eighth place while Sainz secured fourth. Despite this, Leclerc managed to finish in fourth place with a solid one-stop strategy from Ferrari.
Speaking after the race, Leclerc acknowledged that there was little more he could have done to improve his performance. He praised the team’s pace, tyre management, and communication. However, as a driver, he believes it is important to focus on the negatives from the entire weekend. In both Australia and Japan, Leclerc identified his qualifying pace as the main issue. This is something he is not accustomed to working on in his career, as his qualifying performances have typically been strong on Saturdays.
For the past two races, Leclerc has struggled to get the tyres in the optimal temperature range, which he believes is the key to improving his qualifying performance. As he looks ahead to the Shanghai Grand Prix, his main focus will be on refining his understanding of the tyre window and consistently getting the tyres to perform within that window. Leclerc is confident that once he achieves this, his qualifying pace will improve.
When asked if there were other factors contributing to his recent qualifying struggles, Leclerc emphasized the importance of the tyres. He stated that his laps were not necessarily bad, but rather the issue lies in getting the tyres to perform optimally.
“Yesterday, on Saturday in Japan, the lap I completed was actually quite impressive,” he stated. “However, the grip provided by the tires was lacking, which is frustrating because you finish a lap feeling satisfied, but in reality, you’re not performing well.
“So I need to focus on that. It’s a matter of fine adjustments, small differences. Nevertheless, I am confident that by thoroughly analyzing the data – we have a week before Shanghai – and dedicating my attention to specific areas, I can make rapid improvements.
“I’m not overly concerned, but I must take a step forward for Shanghai,” the driver who has achieved 23 pole positions declared.
In 2024, Ferrari appears to have addressed a previous weakness: excessive tire wear during a grand prix. While their car was fast over one flying lap in 2023, it struggled with tire degradation on race day, negatively impacting the team’s results.
However, the SF-24 seems to have overcome this issue, indicating that preparing the tires for qualifying is now more challenging, an aspect that Leclerc has yet to master, unlike his teammate Sainz who has excelled in this area.
“We are also much more consistent,” he added, referring to Ferrari’s improved race pace in 2024. “Last year, it was easy for us to make small setup mistakes and be completely off the pace during the race, falling much further behind than expected.
“The car is now much more stable during races, which is pleasing. We can end a weekend on a positive note, rather than starting strong and feeling dissatisfied on Sunday night. So it’s a positive development in that regard.
“Now I need to put everything together on Saturdays, and I’m confident that we will have many more weekends to celebrate,” concluded the 26-year-old driver.
Leclerc currently holds the third position in the 2024 Drivers’ Championship, with only a four-point advantage over his teammate Sainz – who was unable to participate in the Saudi race due to appendix surgery – and has already secured a victory in Australia. (Reported by Agnes Carlier from Suzuka)