With a comprehensive package of new components, Ferrari hopes to reduce or catch up with the pace-setters McLaren and Mercedes from Bahrain onwards. The third starting position for the desert race is an unexpected bonus, according to Charles Leclerc. “We can say that the upgrades are working.”
Former Ferrari boss Luca Di Montezemolo, present in Bahrain, finds his old love this year to be ‘a team without a soul’. But he has discovered that the Scuderia is still a team that never gives up. After the rather anonymous first three races, with the nadir being a double qualification in China, the Italian racing stable has not taken half measures. It has come to the desert with a large selection of modifications to the SF-25, and Leclerc is reaping the benefits to his great surprise.
“To be very honest: I did not expect to take third place here,” said the Monegasque, a recognized qualification specialist. “I knew there was more to come after the first two qualifying sessions. The car felt bad with old tires, but it was much better with a new set. I am very happy with this result.”
“In the last races,” Leclerc continues, “we have investigated and analyzed many things. It seems that we have now found a bit of our rhythm. Hopefully, there is more to get out of the car in the upcoming races. The team has worked incredibly hard on all the upgrades and although this is not the best track to put them on a car, we have still made a step forward. If you drive P3 in qualifying, you can say that they are working,” he believes. “Hopefully we can make a somewhat larger step next week (in Jeddah).”
Leclerc’s colleague Lewis Hamilton has less reason to smile after the qualification: the Brit finishes ninth.
