Leclerc says he “gave it all” for P2 at Singapore GP, but says Ferrari still lacks pace

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Charles Leclerc described his Singapore Grand Prix drive to second place as an effort where he “gave it all” to secure P2, adding that he was left with “no regrets” even after acknowledging Ferrari’s overall speed challenge compared with rival teams. The Monegasque was close to leading at lights out against Max Verstappen, but a squeeze to the inside forced him to remain behind the Dutchman through the opening portion of the race.

According to Leclerc, Ferrari found strong form early, then experienced more tyre degradation as the first stint progressed. He said the pressure he applied on Verstappen later faded, and he eventually pitted at the end of Lap 24. That stop kept him just ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who remained frustrated after not finding a route through.

Leclerc’s race then gained a major strategic pivot when a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) presented him with another opportunity to switch to fresh tyres. With Ferrari opting for an alternative strategy compared with Verstappen under that VSC window, Leclerc was able to reclaim P2 from Hamilton and hold the position to the chequered flag. He crossed the line seven seconds behind Verstappen after maintaining second for the remainder of the race.

In post-race comments, Leclerc said Ferrari’s early strength was followed by performance drop-off in the first stint. He explained that Ferrari and Verstappen ran a “slightly different strategy” with the VSC, and that he “believed in it until the very end.” Leclerc also said he pushed hard at the start of the last stint, which led him to degrade more than others, while stressing: “I gave it all and I don’t regret anything.”

While Leclerc’s radio message included an acknowledgement that Ferrari “just weren’t fast enough,” he also defended the strategic choice: “At least we tried something different.” On whether he still supports earlier comments about a lack of pace in recent rounds, Leclerc said he “still feel[s] that way,” even as he pointed to “some small new parts” that he believes helped them make another step forward.

Leclerc’s podium was his first Grand Prix finish on the podium since Round 10 in Belgium, completing what he called a positive week for Ferrari. After his success in Saturday’s Sprint—where he also finished in the top three—his Singapore result extended a strong weekend overall, even though he emphasized that the team still needs further performance improvements to match the front-running pace.

He concluded that while he thought Ferrari had “good pace overall” on the day, there was not “much more to do” beyond perhaps being “a bit more aggressive at the start.” For the next steps, Leclerc said the team will continue pushing to the end and must bring additional new elements to reach a level where they can consistently challenge for more than second place.