F1 | Ferrari, Leclerc frustrated: “You have to say what you really think” – Qatar GP
Charles Leclerc analyzed a disappointing season and an inexplicably difficult weekend for Ferrari. The Qatar GP left yet another deep wound for the Scuderia, and Charles Leclerc no longer hides his frustration. The Monegasque, who endured a very tough weekend, spoke candidly about the team’s struggles, acknowledging that the season has fallen short of the expectations set at the start of the year.
It was clear from his initial responses how heavy the result was, and Charles Leclerc confirmed it openly: “It hurts a lot, I’m really sorry. I don’t like creating false expectations, but in the end, you have to say what you really think. At the start of the year, I truly believed we had done good work. The result shows that the work wasn’t enough, and we have to do much more.”
According to the Ferrari driver, the team’s decision to sacrifice much of the season early to focus on the 2026 car has been the biggest penalty. While understandable, it doesn’t fully justify the level of performance seen in Lusail. “I also know that after the first three or four races, we sacrificed part of the second half, or two-thirds of the final part of the season, to focus on next year’s car. So it’s not a huge surprise to struggle during this season,” he explained.
What really weighs on Charles Leclerc, however, is the extent of the performance drop shown in Qatar: “It’s a surprise to be this far behind this weekend because that can’t be explained by the fact that we started developing next year’s car. So I’m not satisfied with that, and we need to find answers.” – the Monegasque driver pointed out at the end of the Qatar Grand Prix.
Charles Leclerc also sent a message to the fans, aware of their unwavering support in every situation. “I’m sorry because wherever we go, we have tremendous support in the good moments, but also in the difficult ones. I’ll keep repeating myself because I believe in it, but I feel sorry for the fans.”
Ferrari leaves Qatar and heads to Abu Dhabi with many questions and a constructors’ championship position stuck in fourth. The work for the future is becoming increasingly urgent.
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