Leclerc laments Ferrari: “We don’t have the car to fight” after P6 in Singapore

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

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc expressed his disappointment after the Singapore Grand Prix, describing the team’s current situation as “not a pleasant feeling.” Leclerc admitted that he has had to re-evaluate expectations about the performance of the Ferrari car, as he watches his rivals compete for victories.

Even though Ferrari hasn’t achieved any victories in 2026, teams like McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes have each secured at least two victories, with at least one victory since the summer break.

George Russell of Mercedes took the second win of the year for his team at the Singapore Grand Prix, while Leclerc and teammate Lewis Hamilton struggled to finish in a distant sixth and eighth place, respectively, due to brake issues.

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

Charles Leclerc

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

Leclerc offered a candid assessment of Ferrari’s position in qualifying.

Unfortunately, we don’t have the race car to fight with those in front. 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

The driver added that Mercedes is now at the same level as McLaren and Red Bull, and that Ferrari is in a difficult situation. “It’s not easy, obviously, because you want to fight for better positions. But at the moment, I feel like we are passengers in the car and we can’t get much more out of what’s there to save the rest of the season,” he commented. Last year, Ferrari was in a great moment and competed with McLaren in the constructors’ championship. The fight lasted until the last race of the year, where Lando Norris’ victory was enough for McLaren to take the championship. However, Ferrari has not matched McLaren’s pace this season. Leclerc tried to show a positive attitude about the season, although he acknowledged the difficulty of the situation.

I wouldn’t describe it as the most difficult season. I think every time you don’t fight for victories, it’s difficult, but obviously, coming from a year like the previous one, where you are fighting for the World Champion, the World Constructors’ Championship, and then you come here with high expectations.

Charles Leclerc

Leclerc also admitted that the current situation requires a lot of energy, but that this motivates him to try to change the situation. “It’s very hard, especially after a race like today, where you’re not even fighting for a podium, you have to manage a lot of problems. It’s simply not a pleasant feeling,” he concluded.