Charles Leclerc seeks answers after ‘big surprise’ in Ferrari’s performance development in Austin qualifying

Charles Leclerc was surprised by Ferrari’s pace in qualifying for the United States Grand Prix, as he and teammate Lewis Hamilton secured third and fifth places for Sunday’s race.

Ferrari had struggled to find rhythm in Austin before qualifying, with Leclerc and Hamilton enduring disappointing Sprint Qualifying sessions on Friday, finishing P10 and P8 respectively. The duo then gained ground in Saturday’s Sprint, largely avoiding the chaos of Turn 1 when the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri crashed after being caught up in a multi-car incident.

However, the situation turned around during Grand Prix qualifying as the Scuderia were a constant threat at the top of the timesheets, leaving Leclerc scratching his head after securing third place on the grid.

“It was a big surprise, especially considering the weekend was very difficult for us from the start,” he said.

“We tried to put everything together in qualifying, we managed to do that, but I think there are still things we need to understand about this car, because there is a bit too much variation in performance in the same weekend without fundamentally changing the car, so we will think about that.

Taking confidence in Ferrari who often show a stronger pace in Grands Prix than in qualifying, Leclerc admitted he will need to improve early if he is to maximize the SF-25’s potential.

“I think it will all depend on getting out there and getting some free air,” he said. “If we are behind the other cars after turn 1 it will be difficult. If we are in front of everyone it will be easier, so go full throttle into turn 1 tomorrow.”

Leclerc’s teammate Hamilton is the most successful driver at the Circuit of the Americas with five victories, the last of which came in 2017.

After going through a difficult first year with Ferrari, the seven-time World Champion is yet to reach a Grand Prix podium in his new colors, something he hopes to change on Sunday.

“This is the closest I’ve been in God knows how long,” Hamilton said. “It took me forever. It’s not for lack of trying, but I’m absolutely going to give it my all to try and get there tomorrow.”

Ferrari is engaged in a very tight battle with Mercedes and Red Bull for the teams’ championship. With Max Verstappen on pole and George Russell and Kimi Antonelli qualifying in the top seven, Sunday is likely to provide another tense chapter in this fight.