Leclerc: “There is still work to be done”

"Best of the rest" during a Grand Prix dominated by the Red Bull de Max Verstappen and both McLaren, Charles Leclerc was sixteen seconds behind at the finish. Not enough to satisfy the Monegasque, who at least got the most out of his carBy finishing just off the podium, he also achieved the best result of a Ferrari in the Grand Prix this season, and scored some important points after the double disqualification from the Chinese Grand Prix.

"The only satisfaction of the weekend is that I think there was absolutely nothing more to do.", he told Canal+. "It shows that there is still work to be done, because even if today I think we were in a better position, or at least the balance of the car that I found on Friday was positive, whether it's Saturday or Sunday, it doesn't change our position in the pack."

There's no secret: the work must continue in Maranello to unlock more performance from the SF-25. While many teams have opted for an upgrade compared to 2024, Ferrari has started from a virtually blank slate. This means they'll start the season with a delay, certainly, but one that can be overcome according to Charles Leclerc, who would still have preferred a Grand Prix with more certainty. The presence of Max Verstappen at the front may have somewhat inhibited the McLarens, the true benchmarks of this early season.

"For now, we need to find more performance and once that's done, I'm sure we can catch the cars in front. I don't think we're missing that much, especially in a race like today. It's difficult to see the real gap because I think the McLarens had a bit more than they could show. It's still positive, because we maximized the weekend."

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