Leclerc expects Ferrari’s rivals to have more in reserve for Singapore qualifying

Charles Leclerc expects Ferrari’s rivals to have more in hand when qualifying begins in Singapore. He says Ferrari is competitive on Fridays, but attributes much of that relative strength to the engine modes used by its rivals.

Leclerc still sees a possible opening in the sprint. He thinks Ferrari may be somewhat more competitive than its rivals in first practice and points to the car’s good balance from the outset as one of the team’s strengths. That balance could help in the sprint, he said, but whether it would be enough to win remained to be seen.

Singapore’s sprint format leaves teams with a single 60-minute practice session before sprint qualifying. Leclerc described Ferrari’s outright car performance at the most recent Grand Prix as somewhat disappointing compared with its rivals. He said the picture would be clearer after first practice in Singapore.