22/04/2025 10:10
Charles Leclerc is worried about his F1 drivers' championship
deficit growing too large as Ferrari continues to struggle at the
start of the season. The Italian team has been unable to provide
the 27-year-old a race winning car so far this term, with his
podium at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix his first trip to the
rostrum this year. It means the eight-time grand prix winner trails
current championship leader Oscar Piastri by 52 points (99 to 47)
after just five rounds. According to Leclerc, the nucleus of
disappointing start to the campaign is the changing face of the
Scuderia's plight, and its inability to thus far root out the
primary cause. "This weekend the problem is it's not always the
same issue," Leclerc explained to media including RacingNews365
after the race at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. "This time it was
four tenths in the first three corners. For the rest of the lap, we
were fast. And in the race, actually, the first sector was probably
the best sector we had. "So we've got to look at that. Obviously,
there are answers in what we are doing, and we are doing something
wrong, clearly. We've got to find it. "We cannot lose too many
races before finding it because we're already 50 points down in the
drivers' championship. "We're not looking at it too much, but 50
points is a big number. I don't want to be losing more points than
that in the next few races." Costly weakness Leclerc qualified
fourth in Saudi Arabia and displayed impressive performance in race
trim, and the feeling within the team is that it can win - if it
can qualify better. However, the Monegasque driver pointed out that
outright speed over one lap has been something the Prancing Horse
has failed to deliver consistently in recent times. "I think we are
close on the race pace," the 27-year-old said. "I think free air
dictates a little bit who is going to win the race. "That's always
been the case. Maybe this year a little bit more than other years.
And obviously when that is the case, qualifying is more important.
"But unfortunately, for two years, we are just struggling in
qualifying to put everything together."
