Charles Leclerc hopes to spring a “surprise” in the Japanese Grand Prix after upgrades to his Ferrari have made him feel “a lot more at ease” in the car.
The Monegasque driver qualified fourth fastest at Suzuka, a position where he has won his last two grand prix.
While teammate Lewis Hamilton battled and will start seventh, Leclerc believed he couldn’t have done much more in qualifying to overcome the McLarens and Max Verstappen.
“I think the lap was actually really, really good,” he told Sky Sports F1 later. “I placed everything on that lap. “There wasn’t much I could have done better.”
The SF-25 provided additional comfort in this regard. The 27-year-old said that set-up tweaks to the car have allowed him to get the most out of the present package.
“I made a lot of changes to my race pace over the weekend,” Leclerc told RacingNews365.
“I’m in a totally different place than I was at the start of the season, and I’m much more comfortable with the car. So, perhaps, it will surprise us in a positive way.”
