Leclerc and Sainz lined up sixth and seventh respectively, however each misplaced positions to Mercedes driver George Russell and Haas man Nico Hulkenberg as they crossed paths in Shanghai’s first nook advanced.
Sainz was pushed large in Flip 2 by an understeering Leclerc, who visibly struggled to get his tyres as much as temperature, additional illustrated by an enormous second for the Monegasque within the second sector.
Whereas Hulkenberg was straightforward prey for each, Russell proved a harder nut to crack. Leclerc lastly handed him on lap 9, whereas Sainz needed to await the Briton to pit earlier than being launched into clear air till the mid-race security automobile.
“It was a little bit of a loopy race. What we did initially price each Charles and I one or two positions and that price us quite a bit within the race,” Sainz mentioned concerning the intra-team battle to Spanish broadcaster DAZN.
“Then we tried to observe the Mercedes, we tried to overhaul him however he stopped after which we stopped, we put the arduous tyres on very early.
“Within the final stint, I needed to go very lengthy, however we nonetheless managed to hold on for fifth, which I feel was the utmost we might do.”
Ferrari was tipped to do effectively in Shanghai, however that did not show to be the case because it struggled for tempo on the more durable Pirelli compound.
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
“Truthfully, we weren’t very quick this weekend, while you qualify sixth and seventh there’s not a number of tempo within the automobile,” mentioned Sainz.
“Within the race, we anticipated to be higher however we weren’t, so clearly that is the circuit the place we suffered probably the most.
“We have to examine if we have completed the whole lot we might with the set-up and if not, it is time to work on the automobile as a result of one of these circuit did not go effectively for us.”
“I simply targeted on attending to the top and ensuring Russell did not cross me on new tyres, and we managed to try this.”
Earlier within the weekend Leclerc felt Sainz “went a bit over the limit” defending his place to his team-mate within the dash race, earlier than declaring the matter was cleared up internally.
Sainz is F1’s highest-profile free agent on the 2025 driver market, as he’s set to depart Ferrari on the finish of the season following the Scuderia’s signing of Lewis Hamilton.