Leclerc trusts Ferrari will solve Bahrain F1 engine problem

He also said that Ferrari should still be proud of what it did for him during the Bahrain event.

Leclerc had looked on course for a brilliant victory before a dropped cylinder cost him power in the closing stages and he slipped back to third.

The issue that cost Leclerc the win is now understood to be a problem with the fuel injector, and that an initial investigation conducted in Maranello appears to have indicated that the engine can be saved and will be run in China as planned.

"It has been an unforgettable weekend for me," said Leclerc, who took his first F1 pole position on Saturday.

"They have given us a great car during the weekend. Of that they should be proud.

"During the race we were extremely strong - then issues happened.

"Obviously it's a big disappointment, not only for me but for the whole team, to not finish where we deserved to be. But we should be happy and proud of what we achieved.

"We will work on the issue but I'm completely confident they will find what the issues are and they will be fixed for the future."

Leclerc also said that he was encouraged about the way he was able to produce when it mattered most in qualifying after errors in Australia cost him a better position on the grid.

"I was not satisfied with myself after Melbourne," he said.

"I did quite a lot of mistakes, especially in Q3 when I had to put the lap together. I didn't [in Bahrain]. So I'm happy.

"In the race also I felt like I did a very good job compared to Melbourne, where again I did quite a bit of mistakes. On that I'm happy.

"There's still a lot to improve, I will work on that.

"I always tend to focus always on the negatives of a weekend on my side and there's definitely things I will still improve. I will try to work for that."