Carlos Sainz, who will be departing from the Italian team at the conclusion of the season to make room for the seven-time F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton, is currently just four points behind Leclerc in the standings. Despite missing the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to appendicitis, Sainz has managed to secure podium finishes in all three races he has competed in, and even emerged as the victor in Australia following his return from surgery.
When asked about Sainz’s adaptation to the car compared to his own, Leclerc responded, “I believe it’s simply a matter of him performing better.” While acknowledging the difficulties he faced during the opening race in Bahrain, Leclerc recognized Sainz’s superior performance in the past two races. He admitted, “It’s now my responsibility to improve, particularly in terms of qualifying pace, which has traditionally been a strength of mine. I have been struggling to put together a solid lap.”
Leclerc expressed confidence in his ability to quickly enhance his qualifying performance, stating, “I’m not concerned, but I do need to demonstrate my progress on the track, starting with tomorrow’s qualifying session.” Currently, Ferrari holds the second position in the 2024 F1 Constructors’ standings, trailing Red Bull by 21 points. Red Bull’s triple F1 World Champion, Max Verstappen, has emerged victorious in three out of the four races and has always started from pole position.
In the Bahrain Grand Prix, Sainz secured a third-place finish, while Leclerc came in fourth. The same positions were replicated in Japan, where Sainz once again outperformed his teammate in qualifying. In Australia, Ferrari achieved a one-two finish. Leclerc believes that China, returning to the calendar after a two-year absence, will be a more favorable track for Ferrari compared to the previous race in Japan, although he still expects Red Bull to have the advantage. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin)