Charles Leclerc’s ‘really bad’ unheard radio message in Singapore highlights Ferrari’s critical issue

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Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc is becoming more and more frustrated at the Singapore Grand Prix.

Charles Leclerc will start the Singapore Grand Prix from seventh after being outqualified by Lewis Hamilton for the first time since Silverstone.

Ferrari have seen Leclerc start from pole position twice at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in the past, but that was never on the cards this weekend.

McLaren have seen their advantage over the rest of the grid slip away in recent races, with team principal Andrea Stella admitting that their focus has shifted to 2026.

However, Fred Vasseur’s outfit haven’t been able to capitalise, with Mercedes star George Russell on pole position, joined by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Understandably, Leclerc is getting more and more frustrated with Jenson Button suggesting Ferrari are becoming afraid of making mistakes.

Much of the focus has been on Hamilton still waiting for his Grand Prix podium since leaving Mercedes, but Leclerc’s tally of five isn’t where he expected to be this season.

He let his anger get the better of him, with one furious, unheard radio message during qualifying in Singapore.

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Charles Leclerc laments ‘unbelievable’ Singapore Grand Prix after qualifying frustration

As reported by the Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport, during his final run of Q3 as he failed to beat his teammate and Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli on his first visit to the track, Leclerc had on the team radio: “What a s— weekend. Unbelievable, really bad.”

Motorsport reported that Ferrari made a ‘last-ditch’ effort to improve Leclerc’s fortunes by changing the load of his front wing.

However, it’s a sign of how far away Ferrari are from their peak performance that they’re still making tweaks to Leclerc’s car going into the most important session of the weekend.

Speaking after the session, Hamilton said: “I felt good in the car all weekend. I felt very strong after my first run in Q1.

“I thought we would be able to fight for the top positions. The way the program is run, the issue of tyre temperatures doesn’t allow us to optimise the session. We need to improve in several areas. Everyone is working as best as possible, but we’ll also need to see what the others are doing.”

Leclerc was upset after the session as well, and he explained: “It was a really tough qualifying, which unfortunately seems to match what we have seen since Friday.

“I found it hard to push the car to the limit, and on a street circuit, this makes it even more of a struggle to put everything together, especially over a qualifying lap.

“Tonight we will analyse all the data carefully to understand what we can do for the race, to try and bring home the best possible result on a track where overtaking is very difficult.”

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Charles Leclerc’s camp is approaching rival Formula 1 teams as faith in Ferrari fades

In the build-up to the Singapore Grand Prix, it was reported that Leclerc’s camp had approached Red Bull over a potential move in 2027.

Speaking on the Chequered Flag Podcast after qualifying, journalist Jennie Gow spoke about the Monegasque driver’s future.

She explained: “Listening to him [Lewis Hamilton] and also to his teammate Charles Leclerc, he was so disappointed and so upset at the form that Ferrari, and the car that Ferrari have offered them.

“If you look at their quality, these are two drivers who are world-class, and both of them could challenge for championships.

“We know Lewis has in the past, but he still can, I believe, and Leclerc could challenge if he was provided a car that was good enough.

“And I think the question would be, how long can Ferrari continue to not deliver the car that both drivers warrant and deserve.

“Certainly, for Charles Leclerc, at the mid-point of his career, I feel like he’s asking himself those questions of how long do I keep sticking with Ferrari if they don’t give them a car that can at least perform and win, and at least challenge for championships.

“Surely, at the end of next year, he has to look at himself and say, ‘I need out, I have to go somewhere else’.”

Ferrari will appreciate how important the work they’re going to do over the winter break is to convince Leclerc to continue putting his faith in the team.

Otherwise, one of the strongest drivers on the grid could become a key player in the upcoming driver market.