Leclerc: I'm not completely comfortable with this Ferrari, but it's good to have Sainz pushing me

After three Grand Prix in which Charles Leclerc has finished behind Carlos Sainz in qualifying and the race, in the Netherlands, Italy and Singapore, the Monegasque has explained some very interesting technical aspects of his Ferrari.

Leclerc has revealed the difficulties he is encountering with the SF-23, the car that now performs at the best level seen in 2023.

"I really hope it's possible to repeat in Suzuka and I'm looking forward to seeing that," Leclerc noted.

"If we do that then it's a really good sign for the future.

"In Zandvoort, we did many tests. In Monza, we wanted to re-confirm those tests and the understanding we had from the car.

"From here, we applied everything and it seemed to be a big step forward.

"Having said that, Singapore has historically been a very good track for us so we need to wait one more race in order to see whether we have done a really good step forward consistently or whether it's a one-off."

Leclerc on Sainz's performance

Leclerc was full of praise for Carlos Sainz's performance in Singapore, where the Spanish driver came out victorious after securing pole position.

"Carlos in Monza and here has been completely on it, he's been very strong," said Leclerc in Singapore.

"It's great to have him on such form because it pushes me to understand a bit more my driving style and try to fit my driving style to this car.

"I'm not completely comfortable with the car at the moment. There's a bit too much understeer for my liking, I struggle to drive around it.

"Because of the unpredictability of the car, I cannot have the oversteer that I want.

"So there's a bit of work to do but it's first of all great to see that the competitiveness seems to be up there, that Carlos feels at ease.

"Now it's up to me to try and catch up."

Red Bull are favorites

Despite Sainz's dominance in Singapore, Leclerc is adamant that Red Bull are still dominant in Formula 1.

"I wouldn't get carried away too much, I think Red Bull are always the main guys to beat and I think in Japan they will be back to where they used to be," Leclerc noted.