BREAKING: Leclerc REACTS to Chinese GP “Win Possible Without Hamilton’s…read more
BREAKING: Leclerc REACTS to Chinese GP “Win Possible Without Hamilton’s…read more
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc believes he had the pace to challenge the McLarens for victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, had he not sustained front wing damage from early contact with teammate Lewis Hamilton.
For the second consecutive race, Leclerc and Hamilton made contact on the opening lap, but this time, the Monegasque suffered a loss of his front left endplate. The collision occurred as Hamilton moved toward the apex from the outside while Leclerc battled oversteer from the inside kerb.
Despite the setback particularly problematic in a race where managing the front left tire was crucial—Leclerc showed strong pace, running in fourth for much of the event. However, he eventually lost the position to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the closing stages.
None of this ultimately impacted the final classification, as both Ferrari drivers were disqualified post-race Leclerc for an underweight car and Hamilton due to an overworn skid block.
Leclerc: “We Had the Pace to Fight
Speaking to the media before learning of his disqualification, Leclerc expressed confidence in Ferrari’s race pace.
“I honestly think today we had the pace to fight with the guys in front,” he said. “When I say the front, I mean the McLarens. Lewis had shown it in the sprint on Saturday. I didn’t do a great job then, but in qualifying, I improved, and I was looking forward to the race because I knew my setup changes would be better for race conditions.”
Unfortunately, the early damage prevented him from fully exploiting that potential.
Impact of the Damage
Leclerc detailed just how much the front wing damage affected his performance:
“Honestly, it felt really bad. I think we were generally quick,” he said. “All in all, we had a really good race car. I made a step forward with the setup, and it felt much better. I think there was a lot more potential. But I was destroying the front tires and had about 30 points less downforce.”
With Ferrari showing promising pace despite the setbacks, Leclerc will be hoping for a cleaner race next time out as he aims to convert potential into podiums or even victories.
