For Leclerc, McLarens are "on another planet"

After three Grand Prix on very different tracks, the event held in Sakhir this weekend serves as a benchmark for many teams in Formula 1. After three days of winter testing in February, this is a great opportunity to see how much the hierarchy has evolved in just under two months. One thing is certain, especially for Charles Leclerc, McLaren has worked very well and his cars are well above the competition. A finding that the Monegasque obviously does not welcome with serenity, but which does not prevent him from continuing to move forward.

“I try to push in a direction that allows me to extract even more from the car.”, he told the Formula 1 website. "To be honest, the car's potential is still the same, and we're clearly not fast enough. The McLarens are on another planet at the moment. It's annoying, but that's how it is. In fact, it even becomes a motivation to try to close the gap as quickly as possible."

While Team was eagerly awaited this season, notably through the recruitment of Lewis Hamilton, the results have not been what was hoped for since the start of the season. The Italian team is therefore focusing on its own work, and on its ability to extract the maximum from an SF-25 that is a huge change compared to its predecessor, which allowed Ferrari to finish second in the Constructors' Championship in 2024.

"We have to maximize the car we have at the moment. If that means finishing third, fourth, fifth, we have to take those positions. I hope we get back to a level where we have the best car in the field. At that point, we have to do everything we can with the car we have at our disposal, but with victories in mind this time."

Leclerc, who therefore does not expect to see the McLarens again during the weekend, nevertheless believes that he should be able to fight with the Mercedes, even the Red Bull de Max Verstappen : "With Mercedes, we're in the fight, but with Red Bull it's complicated to know because Max used one set of tires less than us in Free Practice 2. So I think he's a little ahead, but we'll have to see on Saturday and Sunday because I think we still have to find a bit of performance on the car, especially with the evolution we've made.", he concludes, referring to the floor changes made this weekend by Ferrari. On the positive side, they were satisfactory.

"The upgrades have delivered what was expected of them, so that's positive. Unfortunately, the gap with the McLarens is still too big."

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