Leclerc issues wake-up call to Ferrari in stern assessment

Leclerc finished qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix in P7 behind teammate Lewis Hamilton. Despite claiming that the potential of the car was enough to achieve a better result, he also emphasised that should there be any fundamental issues with the SF-25, they would not be fixed.

He said: "There's lots to understand from sessions like today. In terms of development I'm pretty sure that there's not much more that we'll have, so if there's a significant problem on the car, I don't think there'll be any solution for this.

"At least we can maximize our car and I'm sure that the potential of the car is not where we are today. So we need to look into it," he added.

In fact, Leclerc sees how Ferrari's rivals are improving and leaving the Scuderia behind.

He said: "We are not anywhere close of being on the level of McLaren, Red Bull and actually now Mercedes in some occasions and actually quite recently they've just been a step forward, so it's not been easy."

Although he can't wait for 2026 to come, and the opportunity the upcoming regulations' overhaul brings with it, the Monegasque is also aware of the potential hardships should Ferrari not hit the ground running next season.

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. I think it's a big opportunity for the team to turn the situation around. I really hope we start 26 on the right foot because otherwise it's going to be a tough couple of years," concluded Leclerc.

Ferrari had to settle for a P6 - P7 ked by Lewis Hamilton in the Singapore GP qualifying. Both drivers issued statements that revealed the reality of Ferrari's current level of performance.

Want to stay up-to-date with what happens in the F1 paddock? Then GPblog's F1 Paddock Update video is the perfect way to do it. Subscribe to GPblog's YouTube channel and turn on notifications to never miss the latest episodes.