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Leclerc Warns Ferrari’s Title Hopes at Risk: “We Are Missing Too Much” in Qualifying Pace

Charles Leclerc has sounded the alarm on Ferrari’s title aspirations, warning that the team’s lack of one-lap qualifying pace could severely hamper its efforts to challenge McLaren. After a difficult weekend, Leclerc admitted that Ferrari must address its short-run competitiveness if it hopes to keep up with its rivals.

Ferrari’s Qualifying Struggles

Reflecting on the recent sprint qualifying and grand prix, Leclerc highlighted Ferrari’s issues with qualifying performance. While his teammate Lewis Hamilton secured pole in the sprint session, Leclerc believes Hamilton’s exceptional skills masked some of Ferrari’s shortcomings.

“The problem is that we are missing too much in qualifying pace,” Leclerc said candidly. He emphasized that Ferrari’s struggles on a single lap in qualifying are leaving them vulnerable, particularly as McLaren continues to show strong pace over the shorter distances.

Hamilton’s ability to extract more from the car than it perhaps deserved was not lost on Leclerc, who praised his teammate but acknowledged that Ferrari needs more than just a great driver to compete at the top. “Lewis did a really, really good job on the sprint quali, but I think he outperformed, a little bit, the car,” Leclerc noted.

Grid Position Critical for Success

Leclerc went on to stress how crucial grid position is for Ferrari’s race-day prospects. He suggested that starting further back in the pack due to poor qualifying could seriously impact their ability to compete with the likes of McLaren and other teams.

In particular, Ferrari’s pace deficit in qualifying could translate into significant disadvantages during the race. “If we start three or four positions behind, it’s game over,” Leclerc warned. This stark reality, he explained, could all but eliminate Ferrari’s chances of taking race wins or staying in contention for the championship unless the team finds a way to improve.

The shortfall was evident in the qualifying session for the grand prix, where Leclerc acknowledged that Ferrari’s true performance was revealed. “In Qualy, we saw our real performance and I think that’s where we stand in the short run,” he admitted, underscoring Ferrari’s struggles to match its rivals’ pace over a single lap.

McLaren’s Threat in Qualifying

While Ferrari may be competitive with McLaren in race pace over longer runs, Leclerc made it clear that McLaren’s superior speed in qualifying presents a serious challenge. “McLaren are much faster on short runs and I would say similar to us on long runs,” Leclerc said, drawing attention to the critical nature of the qualifying battle.

The pace gap between the two teams, particularly in the early stages of a race weekend, means that Ferrari is often playing catch-up once the lights go out. Leclerc’s concerns suggest that Ferrari’s ability to stay in the championship fight could be in jeopardy unless it can make meaningful improvements in qualifying.

Ferrari’s Urgency for Improvement

Leclerc’s comments come at a time when Ferrari cannot afford to lose ground to McLaren or other teams. He made clear that Ferrari’s engineers and strategists must urgently address the car’s one-lap performance if they want to remain competitive throughout the rest of the season.

“If we keep doing that, it’s going to be very difficult for us to win races,” Leclerc cautioned. His warning is a clear signal that Ferrari’s championship hopes hinge on closing the gap in qualifying performance.

Leclerc concluded by reiterating that Ferrari’s fate in the championship will likely be decided by how quickly they can resolve these issues. “We’ve got to improve our short run,” he said, underscoring the need for Ferrari to find a solution and avoid falling behind in what is shaping up to be an intense battle for race victories and championship glory.

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