Charles Leclerc has given Ferrari fans a reason to stay hopeful after a challenging qualifying session at the Miami Grand Prix, where the Italian team found themselves outpaced by McLaren's world champion Lando Norris ahead of Saturday's sprint race.

The Monegasque driver, who topped the timesheets earlier in practice, ultimately qualified fourth behind both McLarens and Mercedes' teenage championship leader Kimi Antonelli. While the result may not be what the Tifosi were hoping for, Leclerc's optimism remains intact.

"We struggled with tires today in the heat," Leclerc admitted. "On mediums, we were working very well, but it was not such a nice feeling on the softs, so we have to look at that."

Despite the setback, Leclerc is confident that Ferrari's race pace could turn things around. "We know that we're stronger in race pace but we have work to do in qualifying," he explained. "I'm sure we have the pace to get back to the front in the race and we just have to see if we can find a way to overtake."

The Ferrari driver also acknowledged McLaren's impressive leap forward with their extensive upgrade package, noting that the team had finally unlocked their full potential. "Our upgrades are fine, but it's just that everybody has brought upgrades here," Leclerc said. "We kind of expected this situation where Mercedes is probably still the car to beat, but McLaren made a big step forward. I felt they did not optimize their car in the earlier races, but now they've got it together."

As the Miami Grand Prix weekend continues, all eyes will be on whether Ferrari can translate their strong race pace into a podium finish—a result that would surely light up the hearts of their passionate fanbase.