Ferrari F1 star concedes key advantage in crucial team-mate battle

Ferrari star Charles Leclerc has admitted to struggling to match his teammate's pace so far in the 2024 season.

This year has seen Ferrari establish themselves as the biggest threat to Red Bull's dominance in the first four races of the season.

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Sitting second in the constructors' standings, behind the Milton Keynes squad after four rounds, Ferrari have impressed with their car's pace and reliability.

Carlos Sainz, the only driver outside of Red Bull to have secured a victory so far this season (and the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race in 2023), has emerged as a surprising star performer.

The Spaniard, currently out of contract after being replaced by Lewis Hamilton for 2025, has showcased exceptional consistency, finishing on the podium in every race he's completed, including a stunning victory at the Australian Grand Prix, just two weeks after undergoing surgery in Saudi Arabia.

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Leclerc acknowledges Sainz's superiority

While Leclerc is currently third in the drivers' standings, only five points behind Red Bull's Sergio Perez and four points ahead of Sainz, the Monégasque driver has found himself overshadowed by his teammate in recent outings.

He has finished on the podium twice so far this season in Saudi Arabia and Australia, but has not won a race since the 2022 Austrian GP.

Leclerc, known for his qualifying prowess, said in the press conference ahead of the Chinese GP weekend: "Carlos is simply working better than me, it's up to me to work now, especially for improving in qualifying, which was my strong point.

"I struggled to put together the flying lap more than Carlos did. He is riding at a very high level, and I think this is good for the team for me too.

"I've worked a lot on this aspect and normally when I work on an aspect, I'm quite confident that I'll improve quite quickly.

"So I'm not worried, but obviously now I have to prove it on the track starting from qualifying tomorrow."

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