P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Charles Leclerc believes Ferrari are on a “similar planet” Max Verstappen and his Red Bull team in race trim, after a qualifying performance which put him behind the McLarens and Fernando Alonso – something he admitted was a “bad surprise.”
Charles Leclerc believes that Ferrari can challenge Max Verstappen during the race, stating that the Red Bull driver is on a similar level as the Italian team. Despite hoping for a better qualifying performance at the Chinese Grand Prix, Leclerc will start the race in sixth place, with teammate Carlos Sainz behind him. He mentioned that his setup changes between the sprint race and qualifying were geared more towards race performance, which led to a relative lack of pace in qualifying. Leclerc expressed confidence in Ferrari’s race pace and tyre management, aiming to fight for a podium position. Despite difficulties in qualifying, Leclerc still sees room for improvement and anticipates a better performance in future sessions.
