Jolyon Palmer believes Charles Leclerc was too cautious when Ferrari’s best opportunity to challenge Max Verstappen for the Singapore Grand Prix lead presented itself at the start, arguing that the Monegasque could have accepted more risk into Turn 1.
Leclerc ultimately finished second at Marina Bay after starting alongside Verstappen on the front row. Ferrari had qualified second and third, with Leclerc ahead of Lewis Hamilton, and the Monegasque made a strong launch that briefly put him in position to attack the Red Bull before Verstappen defended the inside and retained first place.
Jolyon Palmer criticises Charles Leclerc over Singapore start
Verstappen went on to lead every lap and secure his second consecutive victory of the season, as well as his first Formula 1 win at the Singapore Grand Prix. Leclerc initially remained within one second of the Red Bull, but the Ferrari driver could not turn that pressure into a pass as the race began to move in Verstappen’s favour.
The limitations of the SF-26 eventually became an important part of the contest. Ferrari lacked straight-line performance compared with its rival, making it increasingly difficult for Leclerc to mount another serious attack once Verstappen had survived the opening sequence. A wider analysis of Ferrari’s Singapore Grand Prix performance also highlighted the rear-axle and performance difficulties that affected the Scuderia over the race distance.
However, former Formula 1 driver Jolyon Palmer focused specifically on what happened before those limitations became decisive. He felt Leclerc had been too cautious at Turn 1 when the Ferrari was sufficiently far alongside Verstappen to create a genuine opportunity.
Palmer argued that Singapore traditionally gives the driver starting from pole position a major advantage in dry conditions, making Leclerc’s launch particularly significant. In his view, Verstappen had not always been especially strong away from the line recently, which made Ferrari’s opportunity even more valuable.
Palmer believes Charles Leclerc could have accepted more risk
According to Palmer, Leclerc had positioned himself far enough alongside the Red Bull on the inside that he could have matched Verstappen more closely under braking. He described Verstappen’s approach when defending around the outside as highly predictable: the Dutchman leaves the necessary space before committing aggressively to the corner.
Palmer suggested that Verstappen has repeatedly shown a willingness to accept the possibility of running through an escape area if a move becomes too tight. From his perspective, that meant Leclerc had relatively little to lose by braking later and forcing the situation further into Turn 1.
Instead, Palmer felt the Ferrari driver slowed too early, allowing Verstappen to judge the braking phase correctly and preserve the lead. Even if both cars had ultimately been forced into the run-off area, he believed the potential reward of taking first place made the risk worthwhile.
The moment has become one of the major talking points from Leclerc’s runner-up finish, particularly because Ferrari’s missed opportunities against Max Verstappen at Marina Bay extended beyond the opening corner.
David Coulthard also questions Leclerc’s Turn 1 approach
Palmer was not the only former Formula 1 driver to take a critical view of the start. David Coulthard also believed Leclerc had failed to fully exploit his opportunity during the run towards Turn 1, despite Verstappen himself praising the Ferrari driver afterwards for the clean way in which they had fought.
Those contrasting assessments underline the fine balance Leclerc faced. Contact at the opening corner could have ended Ferrari’s strongest opportunity of the afternoon immediately, but surrendering the attack also left him behind a car that ultimately proved too quick to overhaul once the field settled into the race.
For Ferrari, the result still produced a second-place finish and demonstrated that the team could challenge near the front at Marina Bay. The significance of that performance, and what it could mean before the next phase of the season, is explored further in the analysis of why Charles Leclerc’s Singapore P2 gives Ferrari encouragement.
Ferrari’s SF-26 limitations eventually end the victory challenge
Whatever more Leclerc might have attempted at Turn 1, the Ferrari did not ultimately have the performance required to catch Verstappen once the Red Bull established control of the race. The SF-26’s straight-line deficit made attacking particularly difficult, while Ferrari’s data also revealed problems involving the rear axle and power unit.
Those weaknesses left the Maranello team considerably behind Mercedes and Red Bull in the relevant performance areas and prevented Leclerc from sustaining a realistic victory challenge after the opening phase. Readers can follow the wider development and performance picture through ScuderiaFans’ Ferrari technical analysis.
Leclerc therefore had to settle for second place, with the debate afterwards centred on whether the outcome might at least have looked different had he committed more aggressively when Verstappen was vulnerable at the start. Palmer’s assessment was clear: Ferrari had a genuine opening into Turn 1, and he believed Leclerc released the pressure earlier than necessary.
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