Leclerc signals hidden Ferrari edge for Chinese GP battle with Mercedes

The Monegasque, speaking with Sky Italy after qualifying, admitted he did not put together an ideal lap and acknowledged that the Shanghai circuit has never been one where he has felt particularly comfortable.

Leclerc also admitted that the setup choice was made with the race in mind, even if it meant sacrificing a bit of performance in qualifying: “The setup I chose should work better in the race, tomorrow the goal is to win.”

Finally, on finishing behind Hamilton in qualifying, the Monegasque added: “On this track being just a few thousandths away from him isn’t bad, although the aim is obviously always to be the best Ferrari driver. He did a better job than me and deserved third place.”

The Brit delivered a strong qualifying performance for Ferrari, securing third place and edging his teammate by just a few thousandths. The result places him as the closest challenger to the two Mercedes heading into Sunday’s race, with Antonelli set to start from pole.

Despite the apparent pace advantage enjoyed by the Silver Arrows, Hamilton has not completely ruled himself out of contention.

He suggested that factors such as strategy, the start or race circumstances could still open the door to an opportunity, while stressing the importance of managing his tyres carefully and delivering a cleaner drive if he is to stay in the fight.