Charles Leclerc’s frustrations boiled over after a disappointing qualifying session at the British Grand Prix, where he secured only sixth place on the grid for Sunday’s race.
The Ferrari driver, once renowned for his qualifying prowess with 26 career poles to his name, has yet to claim a single pole in the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Despite topping FP3 and showing promise across all three practice sessions, Leclerc’s failure to deliver when it mattered left him seething, both at himself and at an enigmatic issue plaguing Ferrari’s SF-25.
As he crossed the finish line, a furious Leclerc vented his anger over the team radio, slamming his steering wheel and unleashing a raw outburst: “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck that! So fucking shit I am. I am so fucking shit. That’s all I am.”
The Monegasque fell silent for the remainder of his in-lap, the weight of his performance clearly sinking in as he returned to the pits.
Leclerc’s struggles in qualifying have become a recurring theme this season, with the Ferrari driver unable to replicate the magic that once made him a Saturday standout.
Trailing 0.229 seconds behind surprise polesitter Max Verstappen and finishing one position behind teammate Lewis Hamilton, Leclerc was left grappling with his own shortcomings.
Speaking to reporters, he didn’t hold back in his self-criticism.
“I am not doing the job,” he admitted from the outset. “Since the beginning of the season I've been performing very well in the races. Looking back at the races, there are actually not many races where I would go to change something that I've done inside the car.
“Unfortunately, when I look back at qualifying, which used to be my strength, there are many qualifyings where I'd like to go back and change something.
“Because every time I go to Q3, for some reason, it's not clicking at the moment. We've had good qualifyings, but we didn't have great qualifyings. Again, this used to be my strength – so I'm not happy with the level that I'm showing.”
While Leclerc was candid about his personal struggles, he remained tight-lipped about the precise problem affecting Ferrari’s SF-25, hinting at a deeper, more perplexing issue.
“It's not a balance issue, it's not a grip issue,” he explained cryptically. “I don't want to go into the detail, but it's just something very weird that we've got to fight into the car. Especially when they [the circuits] are high speed, it makes it even more difficult. I hope we can resolve it.
“The good thing, if we can say it's a good thing, is that tomorrow we won't have any of this. For sure, we won't have any problems of that sort.”
This “very specific” issue, as Leclerc described it, appears to be a significant hurdle for Ferrari, particularly on high-speed tracks like Silverstone.
The lack of clarity around the problem only adds to the intrigue, leaving fans and analysts speculating about what could be holding back the iconic red cars during qualifying.
Currently fifth in the championship, Leclerc knows that starting from P6 puts him at a disadvantage against a formidable lineup, including Verstappen’s Red Bull, the championship-leading McLarens, and Mercedes’ George Russell and Hamilton.
“Starting P6 again, it makes it so difficult,” he lamented. “Because every time we are starting the race by fighting to come back, and then once we are back at the front, people that have had a clean race just have an advantage on us. We need to be better in qualifying.”
As Ferrari looks to Sunday’s race, Leclerc remains optimistic that the mysterious issue won’t hamper their race pace.
However, with a challenging grid position and fierce competition ahead, the Monegasque driver and his team face an uphill battle to turn their weekend around at Silverstone.
For now, Leclerc’s focus is clear: solve the qualifying conundrum and rediscover the form that once made him a pole-position maestro.
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