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Ferrari, mixed signals: Charles Leclerc’s words raise a question mark

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If Lewis Hamilton was smiling in the mixed zone at the conclusion of Friday’s time trials valid for the Sprint Race grid in China, the same cannot be said for Charles Leclerc, who instead has to deal with a sixth-place finish that puts him in a difficult situation ahead of the short race. Leclerc closes the third row next to Oscar Piastri: ahead of him the two Mercedes of Russell and Antonelli on the front row, the McLaren of Norris and the’other Ferrari of Hamilton in second.

“It was a frustrating qualifying – admitted in the mixed zone Leclerc, who last year in the Chinese Sprint finished fifth in the short race won by his teammate -. In the first flying lap I made a mistake, while in the second one I left four tenths on the second straight: we have to analyze the data and understand what happened. In the race I think we can be a bit’closer to Mercedes, but on a dry lap their power unit still makes a big difference”.

Francesco LuciveroFormula 1 at the start: salaries of the 10 highest paid drivers in 2026

The Formula 1 World Championship is about to restart: the salaries of the 10 highest-paid drivers in 2026. Source RacingNews365
Lance Stroll (Aston Martin): $12 million. The Canadian driver is in his sixth season with the British team
Alex Albon (Williams): $12 million. The Thai is in his fifth consecutive year at Williams
Pierre Gasly (Alpine): $12.5 million. The French driver moved to Alpine in 2023
Oscar Piastri (McLaren): $13 million. The'Australian finished third last season
Carlos Sainz (Williams): $13 million for the'former Ferrarista, at Williams since last season
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin): $20 million. The Spanish two-time world champion driver is the most experienced on the grid
Lando Norris (McLaren): $30 million. The world champion is only fifth in this special ranking
George Russell (Mercedes): $34 million. The British driver goes after his first world title this season
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): $34 million. The Monegasque wants to break the curse of the Italian stable, which has not won a drivers’ title since 2007
Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari): $60 million. After last season’s disappointments, the British driver wants to redeem himself
Max Verstappen (Red Bull): $70 million. Lavish contract for the four-time world champion, who in 2025 finished second

Leclerc, in 2026 in his ninth season as Ferrari&#8217s starting driver in Formula 1, started the year with a podium finish, finishing third in the Gp d’Australia dominated by Mercedes, with George Russell ahead of Kimi Antonelli. The Rossa had given very good impressions at the start and in the corners, but felt the difference with the Anglo-German car in the fastest parts. A higher average speed is expected in China, given the presence of two very long straights: an aspect that according to the Ferrari drivers will help the Mercedes even more.

The Ferrari’s minimum goal, however, is to stay in Russell and Antonelli&#8217s slipstream at least in these first few races, developing the car in such a way as to close the gap as quickly as possible. The Sprint and the long race in Shanghai should already provide the first answers in this regard as the season continues.

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