Charles Leclerc: “A historically difficult track for me, so far I haven’t been at Hamilton’s level”. The Ferrari driver finished the Sprint in fifth place. .

Charles Leclerc caught off guard by George Russell

On Ferrari’s 19th attempt, the team finally secured a Sprint race victory, thanks to Lewis Hamilton, who in just his second weekend with the Scuderia has already claimed a Sprint pole and a Saturday race win. Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, started from fourth but lost ground, ultimately finishing in fifth place.

The Monegasque was overtaken by George Russell on the second lap: “I was conservative,” Charles Leclerc admitted to Sky at the end of the Chinese Sprint race. “But in both the first and middle parts of the race, I didn’t have great pace. It’s definitely a missed point. Historically, this track—like Melbourne—has always been a bit tricky for me. That’s not an excuse, but so far, I haven’t been at Hamilton’s level.” – he pointed out.

Charles Leclerc knows he must respond, starting with the upcoming Qualifying session in just a few hours: “After these races, I hope to look ahead to the next rounds, but right now, I need to focus on maximizing points here. In this race, for example, I could have finished fourth. This afternoon, I hope to find a better feeling with the car to qualify in a stronger position.”