Charles Leclerc acknowledges that he needed to improve to have a chance of defeating his Ferrari teammate, Carlos Sainz, at the Australian Grand Prix. Ferrari took advantage of Max Verstappen’s brake issues, resulting in his retirement, to achieve a one-two finish for the first time since the opening of the 2022 season in Bahrain. Despite leading in practice and finishing first in the second and third sessions, Leclerc struggled with the balance of his car and qualified in fifth place. This put him behind Lando Norris and allowed Sainz to establish a significant lead after a pit stop on lap 9. Leclerc admits that Sainz deserved the win as he maximized the performance of the SF-24 in one lap. When asked if he could have done more to beat Sainz, Leclerc replied that he simply needed to be better. He acknowledged that his qualifying performance was not up to par and that he had issues with front tire wear during the second stint. Although Leclerc’s final stint was strong, it was not enough to secure the victory. Ferrari chose to replace Sainz with Lewis Hamilton next season, but Leclerc praised his teammate’s performance, stating that Sainz was better throughout the weekend. Leclerc expressed excitement to compete against a fast teammate and congratulated Sainz on his success.
Leclerc believes that Ferrari’s 14th victory in Australia, which extends their record, is a clear indication of the significant progress the Italian brand has made recently. However, the Monegasque driver, who has not won a race since July 2022, acknowledges that Red Bull remains the benchmark that Ferrari must strive to equal under fair conditions. Leclerc emphasizes the importance of their recent success, stating that it had been a long time since they had the genuine pace to challenge Red Bull. He mentions that they were aware of their potential for pole position and a race win since FP1, thanks to their impressive tire wear and pace. Leclerc considers this a positive sign. However, he points out that Red Bull had the advantage in two out of the first three races, indicating that there is still much work to be done. Leclerc stresses the importance of seizing every opportunity to win a race as a team, as they did this weekend, with Carlos securing second place and the fastest lap. He highlights the fact that they did not gain any additional points and maximized their results in every race so far. Leclerc concludes by stating that their goal is to consistently have a car better than Red Bull, especially in race conditions.
