Leclerc's Performance and Reflections
Leclerc, who qualified fifth, managed to avoid the opening lap collision between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, both from Mercedes. This allowed him to move up the order. However, he found it challenging to gain any more places in the race, eventually losing out to Lando Norris and Russell.
Despite these challenges, Leclerc secured fifth place after Fernando Alonso's detour through the gravel. He admitted that while this was the best he could have done on the day, Russell's pace, who recovered from his early collision to finish fourth, was a concern for Ferrari as they aim to close the gap with Mercedes in the constructors' championship.
When asked about his performance, Leclerc expressed his dissatisfaction, stating, "Happy? No. Because when you see the race of George when he is out in Turn 1 and then manages to finish in front, [I] think it’s a surprise for us the pace of the Mercedes today."
Leclerc further explained that the race was about damage limitation for Ferrari, especially after losing Carlos Sainz at the start. He added, "No way we could have gone and taken the McLarens, and George, to be honest, probably didn’t push as much as I wasn’t putting him under pressure.”
Ferrari's Confidence in Closing the Gap
Despite Russell's surprising pace, Leclerc remains confident that Ferrari can close the 28-point gap to Mercedes for second place in the constructors’ standings. He said, "We are [confident], but we have some races where we will be good, some races where we will struggle more. I think a weekend like this is a race where we have struggled quite a bit more but hopefully the next few races will play more into our favour.”
Sainz's Unfortunate Fuel Leak
Sainz, who was set to start the race from 12th on the grid, had his hopes of scoring points dashed when his mechanics discovered a fuel leak on his SF23, preventing him from starting the race. He described the situation as a cruel aspect of motorsport, stating, "It’s a pity and shows motorsport can be cruel sometimes, and it’s difficult to take obviously to come all the way to Qatar and not even race but it is what it is.”
In conclusion, the Qatar Grand Prix was a mixed bag for Ferrari, with Leclerc securing a fifth-place finish and Sainz being forced to withdraw due to a fuel leak. Despite the challenges, Ferrari remains hopeful of closing the gap with Mercedes in the upcoming races.
