Charles Leclerc is making ready himself for a troublesome finish to the Formulation 1 season as he feels the Ferrari drivers are “passengers” within the present automotive.
Ferrari narrowly missed out on profitable final yr’s constructors’ championship on the remaining spherical of the season, however has been unable to construct on that kind. Presently sitting third within the standings, Ferrari is the one staff out of the highest 4 that’s but to win a grand prix this yr, and Leclerc says his sixth place within the Singapore Grand Prix is prone to be the kind of consequence that endures throughout the ultimate six rounds.
“Sadly, we do not have the race automotive to battle with the blokes in entrance,” Leclerc stated. “McLaren at all times had the identical hole on us in comparison with the start of the yr. Purple Bull did a step from Monza and the identical degree of McLaren. Mercedes now could be on the similar degree of McLaren and Purple Bull, after which there’s us.
“It’s not straightforward, clearly, since you need to battle for higher positions. However in the mean time, it simply looks like we’re sort of passengers to the automotive and we can’t extract rather more.
“I do not suppose there will likely be something particular. The image we have seen goes to be what the remainder of the season seems to be like for us.”
With Ferrari solely eight factors away from fourth-placed Purple Bull within the standings, Leclerc admits the drop in competitiveness in comparison with final yr has been powerful to deal with, however insists he makes use of that as a driving power to try to enhance issues in future.
“I would not describe it as essentially the most tough. I believe each time you do not battle for wins, it is tough. However clearly coming from a yr like final yr, the place you might be preventing for the world constructors’ championship, after which… you need to decrease your expectations from the start, and you do not even see a development all year long. It is not straightforward.
“It takes a variety of vitality, however that does not demotivate me. It motivates me, if something, rather more to try to flip the state of affairs round. Nevertheless it’s very powerful, particularly after a race like [Singapore], the place you aren’t even preventing for a podium, you need to handle a number of points. It is simply not a pleasant feeling.”
