Charles Leclerc did not mince words following the Singapore Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver finished sixth, but his post-race comments weighed heavier than the points he took home. In a candid and confrontational analysis, he admitted that Ferrari is not just stagnating, but even losing ground – and there is no sign of improvement.
On paper, the sixth place seemed reasonable, especially after teammate Lewis Hamilton, who had been leading him until then, fell back due to brake problems and subsequently received a time penalty for exceeding track limits. Yet, the Monegasque could derive little joy from his race. “It’s tough, very, very tough,” Leclerc sighed in the media pen. “We are not strong at the moment and we are struggling with the car. I wish I could say that I am positive about the rest of the season, but I don’t think there is currently anything in the car that can help us make progress. I don’t know how we can turn the situation around. We don’t have any new parts coming up.”
Stagnation at Ferrari
The situation is made even more frustrating by the fact that other teams are making significant progress. While Ferrari seems to be standing still, their competitors are improving. “I was surprised with the car at the start of the season. Then we started working and looking for solutions. We found improvements, but so did the others, so the gap remained the same,” explained Charles Leclerc. “Red Bull made a big leap at the start of the season, and in Monza they took another huge step. And now it seems that Mercedes is also making a leap. We are the only ones who haven’t found that solution.”
With Leclerc in P6 and Hamilton in P8, Ferrari had to settle for a supporting role in Singapore once again. The battle for P2 in the constructors’ championship seems to be slowly but surely slipping away. “We are clearly behind the top three teams. That hurts,” Leclerc admitted to Canal+. Is there any hope for improvement? Leclerc is honest: he doesn’t expect it. For now, Ferrari and its drivers are primarily left searching for answers – and perhaps even for hope.
