Leclerc targets Suzuka 'surprise' after finding Ferrari comfort

Charles Leclerc is hoping to spring a "surprise" in the Japanese Grand Prix after changes to his Ferrari has left him "a lot more at ease" in the car.

The Monegasque driver qualified fourth fastest at Suzuka, a position that has been a happy hunting ground for him lately, with his two most recent grand prix wins coming from that starting spot.

Whilst team-mate Lewis Hamilton struggled, and will line up eighth, Leclerc felt there was not a great deal more he could have done in qualifying to beat the McLarens and Max Verstappen ahead.

"I think the lap was actually really, really good," he told Sky Sports F1 afterwards. "I put everything in that lap. There wasn't much I could have done better."

The nexus of that was gaining further comfort in the SF-25. The 27-year-old revealed set up changes to the car has afforded him the ability to extract the most out of the current package.

"In race pace, I've done quite a lot of changes over the weekend," Leclerc told media including RacingNews365.

"I'm in a very different place compared to the beginning of the season, and I feel a lot more at ease with the car. So maybe, I hope it can surprise us in a good way."

Leclerc: 'I can be at 100 percent of the car more often'

However, the eight-time grand prix winner does not believe there is necessarily much more pace that can be unlocked from the Ferrari at the moment.

"I'm finding answers on what I need, which is good already, but that's not unlocking so much performance," he explained. "But I can be at 100 percent of the car more often, that's for sure.

"And I'm confident that this will give me the confidence that I need going forward in the season, but then the performance and overall grip remains the overall grip, and this I cannot change.

"Hopefully, with the upgrades that we'll have during the season, it will help us to close the gaps to the guys in front."