Charles Leclerc secured fourth place in qualifying for the 2026 F1 Chinese GP after showing strong pace throughout the session in Shanghai. The Ferrari driver topped the timesheets in Q2 and remained firmly in the fight at the front, but ultimately fell just short of the top three in the final shootout. Leclerc set a 1:32.428 in Q3 to claim a place on the second row of the grid, lining up alongside Lewis Hamilton as Ferrari positioned itself firmly in the battle at the front.
Leclerc satisfied with P4 despite ongoing struggles in qualifying at 2026 F1 Chinese GP
Reflecting on the session with Sky Sports, Leclerc felt the result broadly matched Ferrari’s expectations. The Monégasque admitted Shanghai has traditionally been a difficult circuit for him, particularly over a single lap, despite the effort he continues to put into improving there.
He also pointed out that the current generation of cars requires a slightly different driving approach in qualifying, something Ferrari is still working to optimise.
Even so, Leclerc left qualifying at the 2026 F1 Chinese GP satisfied with fourth place given the challenges he usually faces at the track.
“Yes, yes, I think so. There wasn’t much more for us, for me, I’m struggling a lot on this track for some reason. It’s always been the case, and it’s not that I’m not trying because I’m putting a lot of effort into it, but I just struggle in qualifying.
“On top of that, obviously these cars have to be driven a bit differently in the qualifying and so there’s some work going on to try and optimise everything, which will put us closer to Mercedes eventually. But yeah, pretty satisfied on a track that I struggle with in general.”
Leclerc eyes opportunity at race start despite Mercedes pace
Looking ahead to the race, Leclerc said he hopes Ferrari can capitalise again at the start, much like the team managed in the Sprint. However, he acknowledged that Mercedes are particularly strong when the car operates in its optimal window and expects them to be competitive off the line. Should that not be the case, he believes Ferrari must be ready to seize any opportunity that presents itself.
“I really hope so, but I don’t know. I think when Mercedes are in their good window, they perform well, and I expect them to be in their good window tomorrow for the start. But if not, I hope we can be there to take the opportunity.”
