Charles Leclerc, the Monaco driver, expressed his surprise at how close Ferrari’s performance was to Red Bull’s during qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix. Despite finishing two tenths behind Verstappen’s fastest time in the top 10 shootout, Leclerc’s time in Q2 would have secured him pole position. However, Leclerc disagreed with Ferrari’s decision to be cautious and use new soft rubber tires in the latter stages of Q1. This meant he had a fresh set of tires compared to Verstappen in Q3. When asked if Ferrari’s conservative approach had cost him the chance to beat Verstappen, Leclerc stated that the difference between the two teams is smaller than it appears on the timesheets. He also acknowledged that the true test will be during the race the following day, where he believes Red Bull will have a bigger advantage.
Leclerc admits that he could have found a two to three tenths difference in the final stage to challenge Verstappen’s speed, a revelation that surprised both him and Ferrari.
“It’s pretty much in line with our expectations and if anything, it’s a little better than expected because in Q3, we could realistically have found 0.2s or 0.3s in the car, which would have brought us closer to Max,” Leclerc replied when asked about his reaction to the narrow margin with Red Bull.
“It’s a little better than expected, but we’ll see tomorrow.”
Ferrari struggled in the first part of the qualifying lap before making up lost time in sectors two and three with the SF-24.
Leclerc admits that Ferrari faced difficulties in the first corners throughout the weekend, but suggests that this could work in their favor in tomorrow’s race.
“We had difficulties in the first sector throughout the weekend and couldn’t find a solution,” he added. “I hope it will be different during the race tomorrow.
“It’s probably due to differences in tire preparation among competitors, and that can play a role. We tried, but we’re still facing significant difficulties in Turns 1, 2, and 3.”
Ferrari placed great importance on building a more adaptable car this season that can maintain its strong performance for longer periods.
With Ferrari having resolved its wind sensitivity issues from last year, Leclerc expressed his optimism about the team’s potential in race conditions.
“The feeling is much better compared to last year,” Leclerc said about Ferrari’s race prospects.
“Last year, when we had used tires, the car became very difficult to drive, and the balance was completely off compared to short races.
“This year, we’re in a better range for long races, so the feeling is much better.
“That helps us be more consistent, but again, we’ll have to wait and see how competitive we’ll be tomorrow.”
