Leclerc pins Ferrari qualifying shortfall to kerb attack in low-fuel running

Leclerc and team principal Fred Vasseur both highlighted that the SF-26 shows stronger race pace than qualifying progression; Ferrari will prioritise improving the evolution of lap time through qualifying segments rather than only adding outright speed.

In this brief: 2 sections 1 min read

- Leclerc: underlying race pace is competitive, but the car is weaker during low‑fuel, kerb‑attacking qualifying runs.
- He singled out rivals’ ability to attack kerbs (notably McLaren) as a weekend differentiator.
- Leclerc believes the gap is smaller when comparing race trims.
- Fred Vasseur said the issue is the team’s ability to build performance through Q1–Q3 rather than outright pace.
- Ferrari will prioritise improving qualifying evolution (the step forward between runs).
- Race pace remains encouraging, reinforcing focus on execution in qualifying.

Read full analysis on motorsportweek.com

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