Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc emphasized that the team had a much improved pre-season in 2024 compared to their struggles in the previous year. Leclerc expressed his relief as teammate Carlos Sainz had a strong performance in the SF24 during the second day of testing in Bahrain. The team is hopeful for a better start to the season as the car’s performance matches the data from the simulator at the factory in Maranello. Leclerc mentioned that the team was making progress and the car was performing as expected. He also stated that there were no unexpected issues so far.
Leclerc commented that the car’s performance in the simulator was a positive sign. However, he was cautious in assessing the competitiveness of other teams on the grid, as it was too early to make judgments. The first testing session was dominated by an unnamed driver, who had a significant lead over the rest of the field. In the second session, Sainz was followed closely by a Mexican driver, indicating that Milton Keynes is still faster than other teams.
Leclerc expressed his personal feeling that Red Bull was still ahead of their competitors. However, he acknowledged that this feeling was not based on actual data. The team remains hopeful for a competitive season, especially against Red Bull. A Red Bull consultant also admitted to being impressed by their car’s performance so far.
Leclerc’s feeling is that Red Bull is still the team to beat, but he stressed that this was not backed by data at this point. The 2024 season promises excitement as rival teams aim to close the gap with Milton Keynes. While some teams showed promise towards the end of the 2023 season, Verstappen is expected to continue dominating and achieving strong results.
According to the Source firstsportz.com