Charles Leclerc is making ready himself for a tricky finish to the Method 1 season as he feels the Ferrari drivers are “passengers” within the present automobile.
Ferrari narrowly missed out on profitable final yr’s constructors’ championship on the remaining spherical of the season, however has been unable to construct on that kind. Presently sitting third within the standings, Ferrari is the one group out of the highest 4 that’s but to win a grand prix this yr, and Leclerc says his sixth place within the Singapore Grand Prix is more likely to be the kind of outcome that endures throughout the ultimate six rounds.
“Sadly, we do not have the race automobile to struggle with the fellows in entrance,” Leclerc stated. “McLaren all the time had the identical hole on us in comparison with the start of the yr. Crimson Bull did a step from Monza and the identical degree of McLaren. Mercedes now’s on the identical degree of McLaren and Crimson Bull, after which there’s us.
“It’s not straightforward, clearly, since you need to struggle for higher positions. However in the meanwhile, it simply looks like we’re form of passengers to the automobile and we can not extract way more.
“I do not assume there shall be something particular. The image we have seen goes to be what the remainder of the season appears to be like like for us.”
With Ferrari solely eight factors away from fourth-placed Crimson Bull within the standings, Leclerc admits the drop in competitiveness in comparison with final yr has been powerful to deal with, however insists he makes use of that as a driving pressure to try to enhance issues in future.
“I would not describe it as probably the most troublesome. I believe each time you do not struggle for wins, it is troublesome. However clearly coming from a yr like final yr, the place you might be combating for the world constructors’ championship, after which… you need to decrease your expectations from the start, and you do not even see a development all year long. It isn’t straightforward.
“It takes a number of power, however that does not demotivate me. It motivates me, if something, way more to try to flip the state of affairs round. Nevertheless it’s very powerful, particularly after a race like [Singapore], the place you aren’t even combating for a podium, you need to handle a lot of points. It is simply not a pleasant feeling.”
