Charles Leclerc looked ahead to the Singapore GP with confidence. The Ferrari driver believes the Marina Bay heat could bring the car to life. For him, the race under the lights will not only be a test of endurance, but also a chance to strike back after difficult weekends in cooler conditions.
Leclerc optimistic about Ferrari in hot conditions during the Singapore GP
Leclerc admitted the SF-25 appears to struggle in colder conditions, especially when compared to their rivals. In Baku, Mercedes looked “very, very strong,” while Williams managed to make the medium tyres work when others could not. Ferrari, on the other hand, lacked grip. The cold surface limited the car’s potential and exposed weaknesses in tyre warm-up.
Singapore is the opposite. Here, heat and humidity define everything. Leclerc highlighted that they “are stronger in hot conditions,” and the Singapore GP is renowned not only for its heat and humidity, but also for being one of the most physically demanding races on the calendar. The track is long, bumpy, and relentless. Mistakes are punished immediately. For Ferrari, those extreme conditions could finally play to its strengths.
“Warmer conditions, this is for sure. I mean, I think our car is struggling quite a bit whenever it’s cold, and we have seen that the Mercedes is performing very, very strongly whenever it’s cold. Yesterday, there was one of the only cars that were cooled, actually made the medium work in Q3, together with Williams actually, which are both cars very strong in cold conditions. We are stronger in hot conditions, which I hope Singapore will give us that.”
Set-up approach from Baku won’t carry over to the Singapore GP
But Singapore will not be about copying old ideas. Leclerc explained that the settings used in Baku were unique to the setting and that the direction taken with respect to their set-up could not be applied elsewhere. That experiment showed what Ferrari could and could not do in colder conditions.
That means Ferrari will approach Singapore with a fresh plan. The Marina Bay layout will demand traction out of slow corners, stability under braking, and careful management of tyres in extreme heat. The track will punish mistakes and force teams to balance performance with endurance.
“I think it was more of an approach for here in particular, setup-wise. I don’t think that this will apply anywhere else, but yeah.”
