Charles Leclerc revealed that Ferrari struggled with braking behaviour throughout Q1 and Q2 in Singapore before he recovered with an excellent final Q3 lap to qualify second, just 0.054 seconds behind Max Verstappen. The result was particularly impressive given how little confidence the Monegasque had felt in his SF-26 for much of the session.
Charles Leclerc had appeared to be behind Lewis Hamilton on outright performance until the final Q3 attempt. His Ferrari team-mate looked capable of fighting for pole, while Charles Leclerc had carried a relatively significant deficit for much of qualifying. Yet the Monegasque managed to put everything together on his decisive lap, securing a front-row start and giving himself a strong opportunity for the race.
Charles Leclerc explains difficult Ferrari qualifying session
Reflecting on qualifying, Charles Leclerc admitted that the session had been far from straightforward despite the final result.
“Let’s say I did a good lap at the right moment, at the end, but I struggled a lot during this qualifying session. In Q1 and Q2, the car was pulling under braking. I still managed to put together a very good lap in Q3.”
Asked whether pole position had been achievable given the tiny 0.054-second gap, Charles Leclerc acknowledged that the opportunity had been there but credited Max Verstappen for doing a better job.
“Pole was possible, but Max did a better job than me.”
The result came after Ferrari had been able to make setup changes following the Sprint, with the aim of improving the car for qualifying. Charles Leclerc explained that he had personally adjusted the SF-26 in an effort to make sure the final setup was correct.
“On my side, I changed the car a little to make sure the final setup was right.”
Ferrari setup changes and a small Q3 misjudgement
Charles Leclerc explained that he had actually been reasonably satisfied with the car the previous day, meaning Ferrari did not make major changes ahead of qualifying.
“Yesterday I was quite happy with the car, so we changed a few things, but not that much. In the end, it was just a small misjudgement in Q3 with the wing.”
The Ferrari driver added that there were areas where the final execution could perhaps have been slightly better, although he also pointed out that almost every driver would probably identify something they could improve on their final Q3 lap.
“Maybe we could have done a slightly better job, but I think if you asked every driver on the grid, each of them would find something to improve on their last lap in Q3.”
The narrow margin to pole underlined just how decisive those small details became at Marina Bay. The differences between Charles Leclerc’s final lap and the benchmark can be explored further through the F1 Qualifying Pace & Sector Comparison, which breaks down valid qualifying laps, individual sectors and Q1-Q2-Q3 progression. :chatgpt-content-reference{index=”1″}
Charles Leclerc reflects on front-row reunion with Max Verstappen
Charles Leclerc will start the Singapore Grand Prix from the front row alongside Max Verstappen, continuing a rivalry that stretches all the way back to their karting days.
The Ferrari driver recalled discussing their shared history with Max Verstappen in the cooldown room after qualifying and reflected on how long the two had been competing against each other.
“I was just saying to Max in the cooldown room that the karting days feel like yesterday. I don’t have a memory clear enough to tell you how many times we shared the front row in karting, but there were quite a few. It has been nice to follow each other and now fight in F1.”
Charles Leclerc then joked about the difference in their championship totals while expressing his hope that he might eventually reach the Red Bull driver’s level of success.
“He still has too many championships ahead of him, but I hope to catch him one day! Anyway, it’s nice to start together on the front row.”
For Ferrari, Charles Leclerc’s second place represents a significant recovery from a qualifying session in which he had struggled for confidence through the opening phases. Despite the braking issue in Q1 and Q2, the Monegasque produced the lap that mattered most in Q3 and came within only 54 milliseconds of taking pole position at Marina Bay.
The result also leaves Ferrari with a strong position heading into the race, with Charles Leclerc starting alongside Max Verstappen on the front row after recovering from a difficult session to deliver at the decisive moment.
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