Charles Leclerc finished in fourth place at the Japanese Grand Prix, replicating the same result as last year.
Charles Leclerc ended up in fourth position at the Japanese Grand Prix, thanks to a great qualifying lap. The Ferrari was somewhat anonymous in Suzuka, with the Monegasque driver doing his best to compensate, while Lewis Hamilton could only manage a disappointing seventh place. Next week, they’ll be back on track in Bahrain for a race that looks to be crucial for the Scuderia, given the upcoming updates.
At the end of the race, Leclerc shared his thoughts on the events of the afternoon in Suzuka: “The feeling was better, and I have a clear idea of what I want to do to feel better in the next races and get more results. However, this weekend doesn’t make me smile because it hurts to see that when we do everything perfectly, as we did today, we end up fourth. There was no more pace, and it hurts to see that we’re missing 2-3 tenths compared to McLaren and RB, which is the same gap we had in qualifying. “.
The Ferrari driver from Monaco then added: “I’ve always said that no matter where we started this year, we had to look ahead and make small steps in the right direction. Now, after the first races, it’s clear that the starting point wasn’t great, but this is what we can do for now. Let’s take the positive side and say we maximized the car’s potential, even though it unfortunately resulted in fourth place. We have to push as hard as we can, but I know the team is doing just that.”
The next race is in Bahrain, a crucial crossroads for the Maranello team as new updates are expected. Here’s what Charles had to say about it: “Bahrain will be very important: I’ll arrive there with a very different perspective from the tests and a clear direction I want to take for my driving style. I hope it will pay off.”
Photo: X Scuderia Ferrari
