Leclerc voices Ferrari doubt as F1 title fight heats up

Charles Leclerc has admitted Ferrari will struggle to further close the gap to McLaren in the constructors' championship this weekend.

Qatar hosts the penultimate round of the ongoing F1 campaign with McLaren and Ferrari currently vying for their first title in 16 years.

The gap between the two parties sits at 24 points with just one round remaining.

Ferrari managed to further reduce the deficit in Qatar with a run to third and fourth behind Mercedes - however, Leclerc does not expect a similar advantage this time around at the Lusail International Circuit.

“It’s going to [go] until the very end,” Leclerc told media including RacingNews365. “I think they are going to be very strong in Qatar. We've got to have a good weekend.

“I will be very surprised if we recover points from them, but we've got to, so we'll do our best. But I expect it to be tricky.”

Leclerc's team-mate Carlos Sainz shared the viewpoint and suggested the Italian squad is likely to slip to third in the pecking order this weekend.

“In Qatar, the maximum might be a P5 or a P6 because in that car, with this car in a track like Qatar, I expect to struggle and I expect McLaren and Mercedes to be very strong,” he said. 

“Probably also even Red Bull, given that they were strong also in quali in Austin. I think it's going to be a very challenging weekend for us.”