Charles Leclerc sends 'strong' message before bid to end eight-year Ferrari drought

Charles Leclerc insists Ferrari has "pretty strong" race pace for the São Paulo Grand Prix, as he attempts to clinch a first Ferrari victory at Interlagos since Sebastian Vettel in 2017.

The Monégasque driver lines up third for the 71-lap race, behind Lando Norris on pole and Kimi Antonelli, who has impressed throughout the weekend in Brazil.

Leclerc has yet to step foot on the rostrum at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace since making his F1 debut in 2018, but has set his sights high despite enduring a "very, very challenging weekend" thus far.

A lack of one-lap pace saw him qualify only eighth for the sprint, whilst Lewis Hamilton has twice been knocked out in the second part of the grid-setting sessions.

Following a relative turnaround in fortunes for grand prix qualifying, Leclerc will start from the top three for the third successive round.

When asked about that run of form, he highlighted the SF-25's disparity in performance from one-lap to long-run pace.

"I felt it in Austin and Mexico," the eight-time grand prix winner told the media, including RacingNews365. "Maybe this weekend a little bit less.

"This weekend has been a very, very challenging weekend, and I think that hides a little bit the struggles that we’ve had this weekend.

"But in race pace, we seem to be pretty strong. We were stuck behind Fernando [Alonso in the sprint], but I think the pace was pretty good on the one lap I had in clear air. So I'm looking forward to the grand prix."

Bucking the trend

Leclerc spent the vast majority of the one-third distance race tucked up behind the Aston Martin driver. He eventually found his way past the two-time F1 drivers' champion to finish fifth.

Now, his attention turns to what he can achieve in the grand prix, at a venue where Ferrari has seldom enjoyed success during the contemporary ground-effect era.

Both without a victory in over a season, the pressure is on Leclerc to help the Scuderia to a first grand prix triumph of the campaign.

His former team-mate Carlos Sainz was the last Ferrari driver to win a full-length race, at Mexico City last year, and was also the most recent to reach the podium at Interlagos, finishing third in 2022.

"I’ve had years where the car felt a little bit better than this year," Leclerc explained, when looking back at his results from the iconic circuit.

"But we’re starting in a good position, so if we manage to stay P3 or P2 or P1 after the start, then that will help us."