Ferrari F1 News: Pressure builds on Ferrari's Leclerc after damning teammate confession

Charles Leclerc in Melbourne, Australia — Photo: © IMAGO

Latest F1 News

Pressure builds on Ferrari's Leclerc after damning teammate confession

The Monegasque driver admits to struggling to match Carlos Sainz's pace so far in the 2024 season

Originally written by Yara Elshebiny. This version is a translation.

Friday 19 April 2024 17:00

Ferrari star has admitted to struggling to match his team-mate's pace so far in the 2024 season.

This year has seen Ferrari establish themselves as the closest challenger to Red Bull's dominance so far.

Article continues under video

Currently sitting second in the constructors' standings, 21 points behind the Milton Keynes squad after four rounds, the Prancing Horse have impressed with their car's pace and reliability.

Carlos Sainz, the only driver outside of Red Bull to have secured a victory so far this season (and the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race in 2023), has emerged as a surprising star performer.

Charles Leclerc hasn't won a race since the 2022 Austrian GP

Leclerc acknowledges Sainz's superiority

While Charles Leclerc is currently third in the drivers' standings, only five points behind Red Bull's Sergio Perez and four points ahead of Sainz, the Monégasque has found himself overshadowed by his team-mate in recent outings.

Leclerc, previously known for his qualifying prowess, said in the press conference ahead of the Chinese GP:

"Carlos is simply working better than me, it's up to me to work now, especially for improving in qualifying, which was my strong point.

"I struggled to put together the flying lap more than Carlos did. He is riding at a very high level, and I think this is good for the team for me too.

"I've worked a lot on this aspect and normally when I work on an aspect, I'm quite confident that I'll improve quite quickly.

"So I'm not worried, but obviously now I have to prove it on the track starting from qualifying tomorrow."

Red Bull Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Charles Leclerc Carlos Sainz Australian Grand Prix