Leclerc reflects on Sprint Qualifying struggles in China

Dominika Jordan
Mar 21, 2025, 11:59 AM ET

Shanghai, China – Charles Leclerc experienced a challenging Sprint Qualifying session for the Chinese Grand Prix, finishing in fourth place and highlighting ongoing difficulties that echoed his struggles from the previous year.

Despite an overall improvement from last week’s qualifying in Australia, where he secured the 7th spot on the grid, Leclerc was unable to compete with his pole-winning teammate, Lewis Hamilton. Leclerc noted that he was 0.208 seconds behind Hamilton, and identified specific problem areas on the track.

“I’ve struggled on my side of the garage,” Leclerc admitted. “From the beginning, I’ve felt like I was a step back compared to Lewis and he was just faster today. I struggled a lot in Turn 1, 2, 3, which was more or less the same struggles that I had last year. Apart from that, everything was quite tight."

Leclerc expressed his disappointment about starting in P4 but remained optimistic about the race. “It’s a shame that we start in P4 but Lewis is on pole and hopefully we can have a good race together tomorrow.”

Throughout the paddock, drivers voiced concerns about tire management, particularly overheating issues in the long right-hand turns of the circuit. Leclerc shared his insights on this matter, pointing out that getting the tires into the optimal working window was a significant challenge.

“We really struggled to put everything in the right window,” Leclerc explained. “At the end of the day, it felt a little bit better in [Sprint] Qualifying, but not where I wanted it to be. Still some work to do for Qualifying tomorrow, however, in the race it is another story and we will only see this tomorrow.”

Reflecting on Ferrari's recent performance, Leclerc acknowledged that while they struggled in Australia, they had been poised to earn valuable points before faltering in adverse conditions. Looking ahead to the race, Leclerc remained focused on the tasks at hand.

“First we have a Sprint race which I think will be very tricky around here with the tires, so we’ve got to focus on that and then we will see about Qualifying later on,” he said.

As Ferrari strategizes for the upcoming race, Leclerc’s insights and determination will be crucial in tackling the challenges ahead in the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix.