Disappointed with his qualifications, Charles Leclerc is nevertheless confident for the race

With his fourth place achieved in Q3 this Saturday morning at Suzuka, Charles Leclerc achieved his best performance this season in the timed lap exercise. Far from being a satisfaction for the man with 26 pole positions, the last of which dates back to the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Monegasque, however, believes that the adjustments made to his car could allow for advancement in the hierarchy, both in the short and medium term.

Leclerc: "Fourth place is not a result to be happy about"

« Obviously, fourth place is not a result to be happy about, so there is a bit of disappointment, Leclerc told Canal + after the session. That said, I'm generally happy with the adjustments we made on Friday. They allowed me to drive closer to the car's limit.

We are still behind Red Bull et McLaren, quite clearly even, but we continue to work hard to close the gap in performance.

The main thing is that I was able to get the most out of what the car had to offer today. This is encouraging for the race, as balance is key. I took a very different direction with the setup and I feel much more comfortable. This is positive, not only for this weekend, but also for the rest of the season.

As for the race, there are still a lot of uncertainties. We weren't able to run a simulation with these settings in free practice, and the weather could play a role. We'll see how things develop, but the feeling was better today, so I think we're on the right track. »

Join us at 7:00 a.m. (French time) this Sunday for the start of the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix.

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