Leclerc on Qatar’s long slog: ‘No confidence, no pace, nothing…’

Charles Leclerc crossed the finish line in eighth place under the floodlights of the Lusail International Circuit on Sunday night, but the expression on his face as he climbed from the cockpit of his Ferrari told the story of a driver who had endured 57 laps of quiet torment.

For the second consecutive weekend, Ferrari’s scarlet cars looked lost in the desert night, and Leclerc’s body language spoke of a man who had run out of answers.

From the first moments of the race, the Monegasque sensed he was in for another bruising experience. His comments afterward made clear that the checkered flag was the only part of the day he welcomed.

"I had no confidence in the car, I had no pace in the car, I had nothing in the car so it's just... I'm quite glad the weekend is over, to be honest," he told the media. "It was a very frustrating race from the very first lap to the very last lap."

Never Close To Being Competitive

Qatar offered little encouragement at any stage. Leclerc and team-mate Lewis Hamilton struggled from Friday onward, ending the sprint in 13th and 17th before Hamilton lined up a distant 17th for the Grand Prix and finished 12th.

Every session reinforced the same message: Ferrari never got close to competitiveness.

The opening-lap chaos of the sprint carried psychological weight too, leaving Leclerc wary as he approached Sunday’s early laps.

"Again, after what happened yesterday in the first lap, I had no confidence, and I didn't know what was going to happen with the car in the first few laps," he continued.

"But there's not been one lap where we've been competitive over the weekend, so it's been very frustrating."

The race became a slog rather than a contest, with Leclerc fighting more with the car’s limitations than with anyone around him.

Eyes on Abu Dhabi, but Spirits Low

With just Abu Dhabi remaining in the 2025 season, Leclerc admitted he is conflicted – wanting the year to end, yet also desperate for one final weekend that doesn’t leave him carrying another weight into the winter break.

"On one hand, yes," he said when asked if he was looking forward to the season's end.

"But at the same time, I'm just really looking forward to Abu Dhabi and trying to finish the season on a more positive note and hoping to give us a little bit more happiness to go on holiday because it will be quite depressing to go on holiday with two weekends just like this weekend.

"That would be very bad, so I hope we can have a better weekend."

Ferrari’s performance slump has roots in a decision taken months earlier. Team principal Fred Vasseur confirmed the team halted aerodynamic development on the 2025 car in late April to shift resources toward 2026. Leclerc didn’t shy away from the consequences.

"A lot. A lot for sure, and that's why I think the second half is not too surprising. It's a lot harder compared to our competitors," he explained.

"I really hope that this will pay off for next year. Obviously, this was with the vision of trying to work harder for next year and having all our resources trying to anticipate next year, so I really hope that this will pay off."

In Qatar, the payoff was nowhere to be seen. For Leclerc, the relief of simply reaching the end of such a bleak weekend said more than the points he collected.

Read also: Brundle reveals the crucial piece Hamilton is missing at Ferrari

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