Leclerc Finds Form but Ferrari Still Falters on Saturdays

Charles Leclerc impressed with race pace in Jeddah, but Ferrari’s ongoing qualifying struggles continue to cost them crucial grid positions.

Finally, Charles Leclerc stepped onto the podium for the first time this season, ending what felt like an overdue wait for Ferrari. And while Max Verstappen took the win, Leclerc was arguably the “happiest non-winner” of the weekend.

Why? Because the pace of his Ferrari—especially in the second half of the race—was seriously impressive. At times, he was consistently faster than both Verstappen and Oscar Piastri. A strong showing that offers some much-needed encouragement.

“Yes, I think we maximized everything we could this weekend,” Leclerc said after the race. “There was nothing more to get out of the car.”

But one issue still haunts Ferrari: qualifying.

In a Formula 1 era where margins are tighter than ever and overtaking is harder, starting position is everything. And right now, that’s where Ferrari is falling short.

“We really need to focus on qualifying,” Leclerc emphasized. “I’ve been feeling more comfortable with the car lately—I know I can extract the best out of it most of the time. But unfortunately, the car just doesn’t have enough performance on Saturdays.”

That balance, however, translated well in race conditions. Ferrari’s pace in clean air was a pleasant surprise during the first stint.

“We were all surprised by the race pace in free air—it was genuinely strong. The rest was executed perfectly. The strategy was spot on, pit stops have been excellent all season. There wasn’t much more we could have done.”

To get that clean air, Leclerc extended his opening stint on medium tires. It required tire management, but how much did he really have to hold back?

“I did manage the tires a bit, but the car felt good. Honestly, I struggled when I was behind George [Russell]—there was a lot of understeer, which I hate. But as soon as he pitted, the front end came alive. The balance improved, and I could push.”

So what’s the real takeaway?

“We just need a better car. If we start further up the grid, we can fight. Otherwise, everything is too tight during the race to make a difference. We absolutely have to nail qualifying.”

Why free air matters more than ever

Once again, Leclerc pointed to the impact of free air—running without another car ahead—as a game-changer for Ferrari’s performance. But starting fourth or fifth often means getting caught in traffic, unless the strategy is offset.

“We’re close in race pace. But clean air is what decides who wins—it always has, maybe even more this year. And that makes qualifying even more crucial. Unfortunately, for the past two years, we haven’t been able to put everything together on Saturdays.”

“This weekend was frustrating. It wasn’t even the whole lap—just the first three corners, we were down four tenths. The rest of the lap was strong.”

“In the race, that same first sector was actually one of our best. So something’s clearly not working in qualifying. We need answers. We can’t afford to keep losing races before we figure it out. We’re already 50 points behind in the championship. That’s a big number. I don’t want to fall further back in the coming rounds.”

And then came the late threat: Lando Norris. Was Leclerc worried?

“I knew it would be close. He was very fast. I wasn’t stressed, but I knew it could go either way, especially with traffic. At one point, I had to avoid Bortoleto and went into the marbles, lost a lot of time. Lando nearly got into DRS range—that would’ve made it tricky. But he stayed about 1.2 or 1.3 seconds back in the final laps. I’m glad I held onto the position and brought home Ferrari’s first podium of the season.”

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Leclerc Finds Form but Ferrari Still Falters on Saturdays
Leclerc Finds Form but Ferrari Still Falters on Saturdays