'Just not fast enough to fight' – Leclerc reflects on Ferrari's Singapore GP Sprint Qualifying

Charles Leclerc believes Ferrari were "just not fast enough to fight" for pole position in Sprint Qualifying ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend.

Leclerc managed to achieve the third fastest time on Friday at the Marina Bay street circuit, just over two tenths away from Sprint polesitter, Max Verstappen.

The Monegasque believes it was the maximum that was possible and that Ferrari still lacks the outright performance of other leading teams, including Red Bull, Mercedes and McLaren.

"I think I gained the lap time that we had to gain," said Leclerc when asked about switching to the soft Pirelli tyre for the final SQ3 segment, having topped SQ2 with the medium rubber.

"The others had a bit of a different plan, I think they did two cooldown laps, we only did one cooldown lap.

"Honestly, I don't think it should be an excuse. I think the real pace the last three or four races, we've lost a little bit of our performance and we're just not fast enough to fight with them just yet.

Team mate Lewis Hamilton was only sixth fastest as the McLaren duo split the Briton from Leclerc in the final classification.

The seven-time World Champion had also shown encouraging pace on the medium tyre but switching to the softs, as well as posting only one fastest lap attempt, meant Hamilton was left frustrated as he fought his car throughout his SQ3 flying lap.

"It was looking good in SQ1 and SQ2 and then I don't really know where it went away," he said.

"We did a slightly different run plan to the others. It was my choice and think I got that wrong. But ultimately the car was just very oversteery on that lap.

"I don't know if the rears were not ready or were overheating, it was difficult to say but it was very snappy, very oversteery and it just wasn't a good lap overall.

"I had the pace in the first two sessions and then all of a sudden I didn't have the grip in the rear for some reason on that last lap. It is what it is."