Leclerc, the eighth year at Ferrari begins
The word to the track, finally. After three months of waiting and much controversy, Formula 1 is ready to restart with new cars, new concepts, and perhaps new hierarchies. Of course, between Montmeló and Bahrain, the top four teams of 2025 have proven to be the reference poker this season as well, but this time Mercedes seems to be a step ahead, with Ferrari as the primary pursuer.
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This weekend’s Australian GP could confirm the first impressions gained from the tests, which are also shared by Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari driver, who begins his eighth season for the Prancing Horse in Melbourne, remembers, however, how it went in 2022, when he started like a rocket only to then succumb to the strength of Max Verstappen and Red Bull.
Leclerc’s words
“Fighting for the World Championship? I am quite neutral about it, I have neither confidence nor lack of confidence. I am confident that we are doing a good job in preparing for this first race. But I am also aware that Mercedes seems to be stronger than us, for now. So we must stay calm and not overreact“, this was the comment from the Monegasque, who insisted on the importance of developments. “It’s only the first race of the season. Obviously, I am incredibly excited to see where we are compared to the others. But I have the feeling that this year, more than others, it will be a championship where development will make a much bigger difference, because the concept is still relatively new“.
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“We had quite a few days of testing, we know more or less what we will get. We don’t know where we are compared to the others, and that makes a big difference. We still have a few question marks to resolve, but the tests went well and we hope the first race goes just as well“, he concluded.
