Charles Leclerc jokes in terms of pressure on Mercedes after an expired qualification session in Singapore
Charles Leclerc had no response to Mercedes under the lights of Singapore and admitted that he was unable to apply the pressure of the fourth row. The Ferrari driver could only find P7 on the starting grid, at a place behind his teammate Lewis Hamilton, in what was another moderate projection for the Scuderia.
Marina Bay’s qualification session belonged to George Russell. His round of 1m29.158 beat Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri at the front of the grid for his second pole of the season. Kimi Antonelli supported him with fourth in the other Mercedes, blocking a 1m29.537. Hamilton, meanwhile, succeeded sixth with a series of 1m29,688, while Leclerc was just late with a round of 1m29,784.
Asked about expectations on a track where he already has two podiums, Leclerc even admitted that he was surprised.
“Yeah, big surprise. And I think the biggest surprise is to see the Mercedes on the post, where they have struggled in the past in hot conditions, and they come here and they have put it on the post … We will try to put them under pressure tomorrow. But I am not sure that P6 or P7, they will feel pressure,” he said with a smile.
For Ferrari, the gap for the leaders was revealing: more than six tenths of the rhythm.
George Russell’s effort underlined the contrast. After filling the Q2, he led the car between the walls, even by brushing concrete On the way to the post. The margins were thin as he found an additional seven thousandths in his last round, but enough to deny Verstappen and Piastri in a tense fight.
Charles LeclercAt night, on the other hand, almost ended earlier. A trembling Q2 left him in the fall area before a last thrust round saves his place in the pole shooting. But Hamilton finally beat him by calling himself for the sixth time this season, stressing the lack of rhythm of Ferrari.
He followed another mute projection in Bakou, where Leclerc could not do better than 10th. Known for its speed on a tour, the Mongasque started twice in Pole in Singapore, in 2019 and 2022, and finished second by twice. But this time, it ended with frustration.
“I always liked Ferrari, and that’s where I draw my motivation from”: Charles Leclerc on the management of a disappointing season
Charles Leclerc insists on his love for Ferrari is the reason why he continues to spend another year without a victory. During the week, he thought about how the campaign was difficult but explained why his commitment did not hesitate.
“Because I really like this team, I think it’s the answer. I have always loved Ferrari, and that’s where I take my motivation, because I want to bring Ferrari to the top … I will absolutely do everything until RN365).
Ferrari entered in 2025 with high expectations after having narrowly missed the manufacturers’ crown in McLaren last year. The SF-25 was designed to fill this gap, with Lewis HamiltonThe arrival is considered a daring step in their reconstruction. But 17 races, they remain without victory. McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull have all won, while Ferrari continues to look for an elusive breakthrough.
Charles Leclerc did the bulk of the work. He has five podiums, including a P2 in Monaco, and leads Hamilton both in qualification (12–6) and in races (14–3). However, the contrast with 2024 is austere. After 17 laps last season, Ferrari won three victories, two by Leclerc. NOW McLarenThe dominance left the fight in title almost sealed, with the papaya team capable of winning the championship in Singapore with only 13 additional points.
