"I have been struggling more": Charles Leclerc on qualifying deficit to Carlos Sainz

Charles Leclerc has admitted that his Ferrari teammate, Carlos Sainz, has been performing much better than him in qualifying sessions.

In the 2024 F1 season, Carlos Sainz has fared better than Charles Leclerc so far. Despite missing out on the Saudi Arabian GP due to appendicitis, the Spaniard is fourth in the drivers' championship table, just four points behind Leclerc. Furthermore, Sainz has already won a race in 2024 in Australia, right after recovering from an appendectomy.

On the other hand, Charles Leclerc had a mediocre start to the 2024 season, in which he only stood on two podiums. Furthermore, he struggled to clock in fast laps during qualifying sessions, which was previously his strong suit.

As quoted by motorsportweek.com, Leclerc admitted that Sainz has been better than him on most race weekends, especially in qualifying sessions. He further explained how a good qualifying lap depends on a good out-lap and the right tire temperature window, something he struggled with in 2024.

“In the last two races, he’s just been stronger. So it’s up to me now to work, especially in the qualifying phase, which is normally a strength. I’ve been struggling to put the lap together. It’s a very fine line to get it right or completely wrong on the out-lap and getting the tires in the right window and for now, I have been struggling more than what Carlos has done,” Leclerc said.

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F1 pundit claims Carlos Sainz is having a 'more solid' season with Ferrari than Charles Leclerc

Spanish F1 pundit Antonio Lobato recently talked about Carlos Sainz performing better than Charles Leclerc in qualifying sessions.

Speaking to Soymotor, Lobato explained that though Leclerc performed better in the Japanese GP, Sainz was much faster than him in qualifying. He also added that the Spanish F1 driver is more at ease at Ferrari, despite him leaving the team after 2024.

“Inside Ferrari, Carlos has something more in qualifying. Charles did a great race, we have to admit that. But Carlos is more solid and he is more at ease with the Ferrari at the moment,” the Spanish F1 journalist said (via PlanetF1).

Ahead of the 2024 F1 season, Ferrari announced that Carlos Sainz would be replaced by Lewis Hamilton in 2025. The Italian team will have Leclerc and Hamilton as their driver lineup in the future.