Leclerc unhappy after Jeddah F1 qualifying as Ferrari upgrades fail to work

Charles Leclerc was "really not happy" after qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix despite thinking he maximised the result for Ferrari.

The Monegasque qualified fourth in Jeddah but was 0.376s off poleman Max Verstappen, while Leclerc's team-mate Lewis Hamilton came seventh.

It continues a disappointing start to the 2025 Formula 1 season for Ferrari, who started it hoping to launch a title challenge after finishing runner-up last year.

But, the team is far from that target as Ferrari is currently fourth in the standings without a podium in the opening four grands prix.

“I’m not happy, I’m really not happy,” Leclerc told reporters including Autosport. “Finishing P4 in qualifying is really good, I put everything out there, but for now the performance of the car is just not there.

"I either have massive understeer or massive oversteer, but the end result is that I don't have enough grip to reproduce what the guys in front do.”

Watch: Was This as Magical a Pole as Max in Suzuka? Saudi Arabia GP Qualifying Report

Leclerc reckons Saturday's qualifying continued his theme of the 2025 campaign, adding: “At the moment I feel good in the car. I think I found the sweet spot of the car that matches my driving style.

“I feel like in the last three qualifying sessions I managed to maximise the potential of the car, but the potential is just not yet at the level I want.”

The Jeddah performance was made worse by the fact that Ferrari brought upgrades to Saudi Arabia which included a revised rear wing - yet the end result was the same. 

“I’m a bit disappointed because we had a few upgrades that should have helped but the gap [to the frontrunners] seems to be pretty similar to before,” Leclerc said.

“[The upgrades] do work, but unfortunately I feel like the others have done as much of a step, which means that the gap hasn't really changed.”