Frustrated Leclerc: Ferrari lacks pace in Singapore, far from the top

Charles Leclerc: “It’s not a pleasant feeling” after the Singapore GP

The driver Charles Leclerc expressed his frustration after the Singapore Grand Prix, describing the experience as “not a pleasant feeling” due to Ferrari’s unfulfilled expectations. While Ferrari’s rivals fight for victories, Leclerc and his team face significant difficulties. The Italian team has yet to achieve a victory in the 2026 season, while McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes have celebrated victories on multiple occasions, including recent triumphs after the summer break. George Russell of Mercedes secured the second victory of the year for his team at the Singapore Grand Prix. On the other hand, Leclerc and his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, struggled to gain positions, finishing in a distant sixth and eighth place respectively, due to brake issues.

From lap eight, basically, it was about managing those brakes. It made our race very, very difficult.

Charles Leclerc

A video of Leclerc having to lift off the throttle and save fuel while being overtaken by Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes has gone viral after the race.

Leclerc gave a sincere assessment of Ferrari’s position in the competition.

Unfortunately, we don’t have the race car to fight with those in front,” Leclerc said on Sunday night. “McLaren always had the same difference with us compared to the beginning of the year. Red Bull took a step from Monza and the same level of McLaren.

Charles Leclerc

Leclerc went on to explain that Mercedes is now at the same level as McLaren and Red Bull, while Ferrari is in a less favorable position. The driver admitted that it is not easy, as they want to fight for better positions, but at the moment, they feel they are “passengers” in the car and cannot extract much more than what is available for the rest of the season. Last year, Ferrari competed with McLaren in the constructors’ championship until the last race. However, this season, Ferrari has not managed to match McLaren’s pace. Leclerc tried to show an optimistic attitude about the season. When asked about managing the disappointment of a year like 2025, he replied:

Yes, I mean it takes a lot of energy, but that doesn’t demotivate me… if anything, it motivates me much more to try to change the situation.

Charles Leclerc

Leclerc concluded that it’s very tough, especially after a race like the one in Singapore, where they didn’t even fight for a podium and had to deal with many problems, describing it as “not a pleasant feeling”.