Charles Leclerc breaks silence on a disappointing F1 Chinese GP sprint as Lewis Hamilton brings Ferrari the first win of the year

Charles Leclerc had an underwhelming outing in China at the recently concluded Chinese GP amid Lewis Hamilton's dominant win in Shanghai. Following the race, Leclerc opened up about his session and stated that he was going in a different direction from Hamilton and was far from comfortable with his car.

The #16 driver struggled with his car as he came home in P5, while his teammate, Hamilton handed Ferrari their first Sprint win of the season. He finished the race seven seconds ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who crossed the finish line ahead of reigning champion Max Verstappen.

As for Leclerc, he struggled with the grip of his car, as he complained on the radio about his difficulties. While trying to defend against George Russell in the race, he complained about how the SF-25 was hard to turn. Leclerc's woes came amid a displeased Sprint qualifying (P4) on Friday. At the same time, his new teammate, Hamilton, was on a pole.

"We're going in a different direction than Lewis," Leclerc told the media in the post-sprint race interview. "We'll try to get closer to his for the race, but I'm not expecting miracles. The biggest problem this weekend is me, and I'm not completely comfortable."

Fresh from their disappointing showdown in Australia, Ferrari arrived in China pumped up with the SF-25s. While Lewis Hamilton managed to deliver what he promised when he arrived at the Prancing Horse this year, Charles Leclerc failed to match him, for the time being.

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Charles Leclerc's shocking admission about Shanghai International Circuit

Charles Leclerc, who lost a place and finished the race in P5 on Saturday, stated that he never found racing at the Shanghai International Circuit easy. Speaking to the media after the Sprint race, here's what the Monegasque driver said:

Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving the (16) Scuderia Ferrari SF-25 - Source: Getty

"I wouldn’t really blame the car because Lewis is doing a great job with it. For me it‘s me really," Leclerc said. "I just really struggle on this track. It‘s not an excuse, I need to react and quali would be a good start to turn things around."

Notably, Leclerc struggled on the same track in 2019, his first year for Ferrari. He started his race from P4 but ended the 2019 Chinese GP in P5, while Lewis Hamilton emerged as the winner.

After a four-year hiatus due to COVID-19, China returned to the calendar in 2024, and once again Leclerc struggled with his performance around the track in Shanghai. He qualified in P7 in the Sprint shootout and finished the race in P4. In the main race qualifying, he managed P6 and came home in P4.