Key Highlights:
- Charles Leclerc qualified third for the Sprint race at the Singapore Grand Prix, trailing pole-sitter Max Verstappen by just over two tenths of a second.
- Leclerc conceded that Scuderia Ferrari was
just not fast enough to fight
for the top spot, citing an underlying pace deficit over recent events compared to Red Bull, Mercedes, and McLaren. - Lewis Hamilton struggled with rear grip and snap oversteer on the soft tire in SQ3, finishing sixth after a flawed run plan choice.
Scuderia Ferrari encountered a reality check during Sprint Qualifying under the floodlights of the Marina Bay street circuit ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix. Despite showing competitive early pace on medium compound tires, Charles Leclerc had to settle for third place on the grid, finishing slightly more than two tenths off the benchmark set by Red Bull’s Sprint polesitter, Max Verstappen. Leclerc acknowledged that P3 represented the ceiling of what the Ferrari package could deliver, emphasizing that the Italian outfit still trails its primary rivals—Red Bull, McLaren, and Mercedes—in outright raw pace.
Leclerc Evaluates Tire Strategy and Pure Pace Deficit
Leclerc had previously topped the timesheets during SQ2 while running on the mandatory medium Pirelli rubber. However, the transition to the soft compound in the decisive SQ3 shootout exposed the persistent gaps between the frontrunners. When evaluating whether run plan variations affected the outcome, the Monegasque driver remained candid about where the team stands.
I think I gained the lap time that we had to gain,
said Leclerc when asked about switching to the soft Pirelli tyre for the final SQ3 segment, having topped SQ2 with the medium rubber.
The others had a bit of a different plan, I think they did two cooldown laps, we only did one cooldown lap.
Honestly, I don’t think it should be an excuse. I think the real pace the last three or four races, we’ve lost a little bit of our performance and we’re just not fast enough to fight with them just yet.
Hamilton Frustrated by Oversteer in SQ3
On the other side of the Scuderia garage, Lewis Hamilton experienced a difficult final segment, ultimately ending Friday’s running down in sixth position. The McLaren pair slotted directly between Leclerc and Hamilton in the final classification, underscoring the fierce intra-team and cross-manufacturer battle at the top of the field.
The seven-time World Champion had displayed promising form throughout the opening two phases of the session, but his sole flying effort on the soft compound deteriorated quickly due to balance issues and severe handling instability.
It was looking good in SQ1 and SQ2 and then I don’t really know where it went away,
he said.
We did a slightly different run plan to the others. It was my choice and think I got that wrong. But ultimately the car was just very oversteery on that lap.
I don’t know if the rears were not ready or were overheating, it was difficult to say but it was very snappy, very oversteery and it just wasn’t a good lap overall.
I had the pace in the first two sessions and then all of a sudden I didn’t have the grip in the rear for some reason on that last lap. It is what it is.
Why This Matters
Marina Bay is historically a high-downforce venue where qualifying position dictates the vast majority of race outcomes due to limited overtaking opportunities. Ferrari’s admission that their performance has plateaued or slipped over the previous three to four rounds points to broader development challenges against Red Bull and McLaren. With Hamilton starting sixth and Leclerc lined up behind Verstappen, Ferrari faces an uphill task during the Sprint race to salvage critical championship points and extract competitive race pace across longer stints on the demanding Singapore street circuit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton qualify for the Singapore Sprint?
Charles Leclerc secured third place on the grid, just over two tenths of a second behind pole-sitter Max Verstappen. Lewis Hamilton qualified in sixth place after being split from his teammate by the McLaren drivers.
Why did Lewis Hamilton struggle during SQ3?
Hamilton admitted that his chosen run plan on the soft Pirelli tire did not work out as intended. He suffered from severe rear-end instability and oversteer throughout his single flying lap, preventing him from matching his earlier pace from SQ1 and SQ2.
What does Ferrari believe caused the gap to pole position?
While differing tire preparation strategies and cooldown laps were noted, Charles Leclerc explained that Ferrari fundamentally lacks outright performance compared to its main rivals, noting the team has lost a step in pure pace across recent race weekends.
