Leclerc, who began in eighth place, completed 27 laps on a set of medium tires before switching to hard tires and defending fiercely to hold off McLaren’s Lando Norris.
The driver from Monaco was eventually overtaken by teammate Carlos Sainz, who finished third behind the Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
Despite being voted Driver of the Day, Leclerc dropped to third place in the F1 Driver’s Standings with 59 points, four ahead of teammate Sainz. Verstappen leads the championship with 77 points, followed by Perez with 64.
“We executed an impressive strategy, managed our time well, and had great pace, but it’s simply not enough when starting from eighth,” Leclerc told Sky Sports.
“I don’t often have to focus on qualifying days in my career because it’s usually one of my strengths. But in Australia and here, I’ve struggled, so I’ll concentrate on that.
“But usually, when I work on something, I improve quite quickly, so I’m confident,” he insisted.
Team boss Frederic Vasseur praised Ferrari for bouncing back from their disappointing performance in the final practice session and qualifying.
“We had a strong Sunday with a good strategy, and we were able to make a comeback. If we want to have a better weekend, we need to improve on Saturdays,” Vasseur added.
“We made progress with the car during the winter, even in the latter part of last year. Everyone in the team is much more confident and calm, and we’re doing a good job together,” the Frenchman stated.
Sainz once again delivered for Ferrari, securing his third podium finish in as many races this season, following his victory at the Australian Grand Prix.
The Spaniard, who missed the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to appendix surgery, is expected to lose his race seat to seven-time F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton in 2025.
“Unfortunately, I have no idea where I’ll be next year. It’s true that we’re in talks with several teams,” Sainz said.
“I just need to stay focused on what I’m doing and prove to myself and everyone that I can maximize the potential of a fast car.
“I deliver, you know. It’s been a strong start… Teams know I’m available. Let’s see what happens,” Sainz concluded. (Reporting by Aadi Nair)