Charles Leclerc sees a chance to challenge McLaren… but not in Singapore. Charles Leclerc assesses Ferrari’s prospects at the Singapore Grand Prix.

Charles Leclerc takes stock of what the Singapore Grand Prix could hold for Ferrari and sees a future opportunity to challenge McLaren.

On a day dedicated to interviews, Charles Leclerc discussed Ferrari’s current situation, offering insights into what his weekend in Singapore might look like and how the season could unfold all the way to the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi. Could Ferrari replicate past success, like Carlos Sainz’s victory a few years ago?

Ferrari arrives in Singapore with several questions. At the last Grand Prix in Baku, the weekend began with high expectations but ended with a rather underwhelming performance. Now the team lands in Singapore, another street circuit, but with completely different characteristics and conditions compared to Baku. The layout is almost the opposite, featuring numerous corners and few long straights, coupled with extreme temperatures and humidity expected to exceed 80%.

Looking at past results, however, Ferrari has reasons to be optimistic. Setting aside the disappointing result from last year, 2023 saw a victory with Carlos Sainz, while the previous year Leclerc finished second after a tight battle with Sergio Perez. Going further back, beyond the current era of F1 cars, fans will remember the memorable Ferrari one-two finish in 2019.

In short, the foundations for a strong weekend are there, even though Leclerc highlighted some concerns during the press conference. He noted that for Singapore, he would take a more tailored approach but emphasized his goal of staying in peak form from the first race to the last. Leclerc mentioned that this might require extra time in the sauna to adapt to the temperatures, and while the team has the option of a cooling vest, he doesn’t expect the physical challenge to be harsher than last year.

Regarding the battle with McLaren, Leclerc admitted that Ferrari is unlikely to gain the upper hand over the team, but he refused to rule out the possibility entirely. He suggested that Las Vegas might offer a more favorable scenario, thanks to its unique tire management challenges. Still, on paper, beating McLaren this season seems rather unlikely.