F1, Charles Leclerc is unbalanced about the new Ferrari

Ferrari, Charles Leclerc è optimistic

Despite the fact that Thursday’s test day in Sakhir was marked in the morning session by a fault in the program that directly involved him (hitting a manhole cover in turn 11, fortunately without serious consequences for his Ferrari), Charles Leclerc has reasons to smile that go beyond all that.

Charles Leclerc smiles: "Better feeling with the car"

"Last year anything could happen in one corner and everything the opposite in the next – Leclerc, on the sidelines of testing in Bahrain, told 'Sky Sport' – This year there's more feeling with the car and there's also more consistency in terms of balance. That's why I think the base is generally better".

Returning to the comparison with the SF-23, Leclerc explained: "Last year we didn't understand the flaws, you could really say anything, while this year we have a very clear direction and the difference already can be felt. At the level of competitiveness; compared to the opponents we can say little, some times we had fast but difficult cars, some other times the opposite. The reference remains Red Bull".

Ferrari, the goal remains beating Red Bull

Testing in Bahrain showed a Ferrari seemingly solid on race pace, as explained by Leclerc himself: "Last year with used tires we were struggling a lot, this year the feeling is better. In any case we have to keep working, the feeling è that Red Bull is ahead but maybe we can make some surprises".

"However, we have to focus on our own work, personally I have not spent so much time watching others" then concluded the Monegasque driver, who this year will be starting his sixth season as Ferrari’s starting driver and aims to do better than the fifth place overall, with no wins and six total podiums (plus one in the Baku Sprint), of 2023.