Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc recalls struggling to find pace on a drying track in the 2026 F1 Singapore Sprint Race, where he finished third behind Hamilton and race winner Max Verstappen.
After rain delayed the start, the Sprint finally got going, and Leclerc had a compartively poor start off the line, losing position to Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton, who started P6. However, he regained his P3 starting position when George Russell crashed out of the Sprint Race at the beginning of Lap 2.
Following a lengthy Safety Car period that saw multiple cars drop out of the 2026 F1 Singapore GP Sprint Race, the race got going again on Lap 6, and Leclerc held on to his position after the restart. As the track dried, the Monegasque lost ground to the race leader and his teammate but still finished third.
Interviewed after the 2026 F1 Singapore GP Sprint Race, Leclerc recalled his struggles after opting for a “quite aggressive balance”, which he reckons helped him early on but left him vulnerable in the final stages.
Leclerc recalls his struggles for pace during the 2026 F1 Singapore GP Sprint Race
“I struggled a lot from mid-race onwards. I went towards a quite aggressive balance on the other side of what I normally do, with quite a weak front, which was quite good for the first part of the race, but then when it dried up, I was nowhere. So it was kind of tricky at the end.”
Struggling for pace on a drying track, Leclerc faced pressure from the McLaren duo and F1 2026 Championship leader Kimi Antonelli in the closing stages of the Singapore GP Sprint Race.
“I knew I needed a very good exit out of five because I was weak in all right-hand corners, especially with the front left,” Leclerc said, describing his struggles in the latter stages of the Sprint Race.
With Piastri and Norris hot on his heels, the Ferrari driver caught the tail end of the race-ending clash between the McLaren drivers. Despite the lack of pace towards the end, Leclerc kept it clean and crossed the finish line just ahead of Antonelli.
“I had quite a good exit, but then I checked my mirrors, and I saw the red lights of the back of the McLarens, so I knew that something had happened.
“And Kimi was also very strong towards the end, so we just didn’t have the pace at the end.”
