Charles Leclerc expects Ferrari will find the Singapore Grand Prix tough, following its podium challenge at Monza. It was the second time Ferrari has come close to challenging Red Bull all season as Carlos Sainz took pole and led 14 laps before Max Verstappen overtook him, following on the Azerbaijan GP in April where Leclerc was third after starting on pole himself. The team adopted a 'Monza special' aero package which enabled it to maximise the potential of the SF-23 at the high-speed track, but Leclerc expects the team to struggle more at the high downforce Marina Bay Street Circuit, which have proved a weakness for the package in 2023. "I think it's the overall performance we'll have this weekend," Leclerc told media including RacingNews365 if he was optimistic about Ferrari's chances in Singapore - a track he has taken pole at in both 2019 and 2022. "It's quite difficult to go from one weekend in Monza, where we are fighting for third position and we are clearly the second strongest team on track, to a weekend like this where we need to reset a little bit. "We will be closer at least with Mercedes, McLaren, also Aston Martin. We just need to reset a little bit more."
Leclerc: We learned a lot during Monza
Ferrari did a lot of setup work between Zandvoort and Monza during the Friday practice sessions to try and understand the SF-23's weaknesses. Leclerc expects this will help Ferrari develop its package for the future, as it looks to switch car concepts for next season. "We learned plenty during Monza, especially about our weaknesses and it confirmed that we are stronger on low downforce trucks," he said. "Obviously for here, it's going to be a bit more of a difficult weekend for us. But there might be a few things that will help us here. "After Monza, we understood more things which are good for this year, even though it will be a small step in the right direction, but mostly for designing next year's car which is positive."
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