Leclair: We will fight on equal terms with Mercedes and Red Bull

      Charles Leclair on the results of qualifying in Bahrain, in which he achieved the best qualifying result of the season for Ferrari so far.…

      Question: Charles, great job. Are you happy with your fast lap?Charles Leclair: The lap was really good, but the main thing is the result of the hard work of the team. In the first few races, we were less competitive than we expected, so after two or three races, I chose my own direction in setting up the car, which helped me achieve more from the car. I try to get the most out of the car every weekend, and it gets better and better, which makes me optimistic.

      I'm happy with the circle. It was very difficult to put everything together, but I succeeded. I didn't expect to be so close to pole position, but it's going to be more difficult in the race.

      Q: What kind of result do you expect in the race?Charles Leclair: McLaren perfectly controls the condition of the tires, preventing overheating. We saw this in the third practice session, when everyone had a lot of difficulties, and Oscar didn't seem to pay attention to it, having completed a great lap.

      I think it's going to be pretty much the same in the race. It is unlikely that we will be able to challenge McLaren, but we will fight on equal terms with Mercedes and Red Bull. The fight will be interesting. We all have different tires. In such hot weather, it is especially important to start well – the free track in front of you can help a lot.

       Question: You talked about the changes in the settings in the last two Grands Prix, but is there any progress from the new products prepared by the team, in particular, from the new bottom?Charles Leclair: The team has done a lot of work. In recent weeks, everyone has been working tirelessly, trying to take the car to the next level as early as possible, and it definitely helped. I don't think I would have been able to climb this high without the new bottom. Let's see how things turn out in the race. However, this is not the best track for working with new products, but we will get more information in the next few weekends.