SAKHIR, BAHRAIN — Ferrari star Charles Leclerc claims he is “much readier” than last year for a championship challenge, but feels his team is still only third-favorite behind Red Bull and Mercedes.
The prestigious Italian team has fallen down the Formula 1 pecking order over the last few years, with 2020 being a particular low point. That first year of the pandemic saw Ferrari end up in an unfathomable 6th place in the constructors’ championship, failing to win a single race. Last year saw an improvement, with a 3rd-placed finish, but not in the same league as the top two.
However, preseason testing has given Ferrari fans fresh hope, with many pundits backing the Scuderia to take a massive leap forward in this uncertain new era of F1 cars, with the field theoretically being more level this season. There’s confidence behind the F1-75, but Leclerc still sees the same old rivals for the title.
Speaking at the Bahrain International Circuit, on the eve of Free Practice, Leclerc said: “I think Red Bull are [the favorites].
“But I also think Mercedes didn’t show all their potential. They’ve done a few laps here and there that were good, but they didn’t really put anything together, to be honest. I think there’s a lot more to come from Mercedes. They will still be the two teams to beat this year.
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“I’m maybe a bit more pessimistic [than team principal Mattia Binotto]. I feel we are still a bit behind Red Bull.
“I don’t think we’re speaking about a second, like we were last year, or even more the year before – it’s going to be closer, for sure, and this is already a good sign. But I still think they are the favorites, and see ourselves a bit behind Red Bull.”
However, the Monegasque is relishing the contender tag being placed on Ferrari by the media and fans: “I don’t feel it as extra pressure. I see it as a positive – it’s a good sign if people expect us to be fighting at the front.
“It means we are doing something right, and what we’ve shown in testing – even though it was only testing – was enough to make people think we are in front. But we don’t get carried away for now. It’s good to have these headlines back because in the last two years it didn’t happen much!”
One advantage Ferrari have over their two potential rivals – whose drivers have won each of the last 12 world championships – is the lack of changes between testing in Barcelona and Bahrain. Mercedes had a drastic new design, while Red Bull made some tweaks which saw their performance soar.
Leclerc continued on his team’s stability: “I think we are very well prepared. We didn’t have any major issues [in testing].
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“This is the main reason we have a smile on our face after [the Bahrain] test – not for the competitiveness because for this week we don’t know yet [how competitive we’ll be], but for the reliability, for not having any problems, and for working well as a team.
“Only the first race will tell us whether our approach was the best one, but I feel confident. I feel like the knowledge we have of our car, nobody has the same knowledge of their car, because they’ve been changing it.
“On the other hand, obviously Red Bull made a massive step in the last day [of testing] with the new upgrades. I was pretty surprised to see the Mercedes at testing here in Bahrain in very, very different concept to everyone [else] – they were quite extreme.
“It’s definitely interesting to see in qualifying here which one works better. But I’m happy with our approach and the fact that we know very, very well our car already. It feels good. It feels better than last year.”
One major talking point about the new generation of F1 cars has been the “porpoising” effect. Leclerc acknowledges it is an issue, but certainly sees the positives of this year’s major changes: “In some conditions, bouncing is more [prevalent].
“But also some laps you can not have it. It will depend on the conditions of the race. Obviously, the more bouncing, the more risk of breaking something on the car.
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“The driving style changed a lot – especially the braking, for the slow speeds, you can really feel the weight of the car. I think you’ve seen a lot of front and rear locking. So you need to drive differently. There’s quite a bit of understeer, especially the low-speed corners, but we found quite good performance trying different things in the last day [of testing], as did Red Bull.
“For the high speed, I quite like the 2022 car. For the low speed, maybe the 2021.
“The car felt a bit more predictable once you were following. Maybe once you get really close, like five-tenths, when it’s really close racing, it doesn’t change that much.
“The front axel is the weaker one, whereas the 2021 cars were trickier with the rears. But overall, it’s more predictable and easier to follow.”
Of course, the car is only half the battle. Leclerc believes as a driver, he has improved via his difficulties of the last two seasons, finishing 8th and 7th in the world championship standings. At only 24, he is still maturing: “I definitely feel much readier than in the first year.
“The first year, I also felt ready to show my potential, but now seeing the past three years and how much I’ve learnt, I definitely feel much readier and a much more grown driver. I feel a better driver.”