Leclerc Critiques Qualifying Performance Ahead of British GP

Charles Leclerc has expressed frustration with his qualifying performance as he prepares for the 2025 British Grand Prix, starting sixth on the grid. The Ferrari driver has yet to secure a pole position this season, despite entering the year with a strong qualification pedigree, having amassed 26 career poles.

In the qualifying session at Silverstone, Leclerc was 0.229 seconds slower than Max Verstappen, who secured a surprise pole position. This result followed a promising run in practice where he topped FP3. However, the driver struggled in Q3, missing the mark that has historically defined his capabilities.

Upon finishing his lap, Leclerc vented his discontent, stating over the team radio, “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck that… I am so fucking shit.” His post-qualifying reflections were no less critical: “I am not doing the job,” he admitted to reporters. “Since the beginning of the season, I’ve been performing well in races, but qualifying has not been clicking.”

Leclerc acknowledged the need for improvement, particularly highlighting that “many qualifyings where I’d like to go back and change something.” He expressed confidence that the specific issues affecting his performance were tied to the car rather than personal technique, saying, “It’s not a balance issue, it’s not a grip issue. It’s just something very weird we’ve got to fight into the car.”

Looking ahead to the race, Leclerc noted the challenge of starting from P6. “It makes it so difficult because we are starting the race by fighting to come back, and those who have clean races gain an advantage,” he explained.

The qualifying situation puts the Ferrari driver at a significant disadvantage, as he aims to recover ground behind Verstappen and the championship-leading McLaren team. Leclerc remains determined, asserting, “We need to be better in qualifying.”