Charles Leclerc, the driver from Monaco, expressed his surprise at how close Ferrari’s performance was to Red Bull 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 closing stages of Q1. This meant he had one fresh set of tires compared to Verstappen in Q3. When asked if Ferrari’s conservative approach had cost him a chance to beat Verstappen, Leclerc stated that the gap between the two teams is smaller than it appears on the timesheets. He also acknowledged that the real test will be during the race on the following day, where he believes Red Bull will have a greater advantage.
Leclerc acknowledges that he could have discovered a difference of two to three-tenths in the final phase 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 slightly better than what we anticipated because, in Q3, we could have realistically found 0.2s or 0.3s in the car, which would have brought us close to Max,” Leclerc responded when asked about his reaction to the narrow margin with Red Bull.
“It’s a bit better than expected, but we’ll see tomorrow.”
Ferrari struggled in the first part of the qualifying lap before making up for lost time in the second and third sectors with the SF-24.
Leclerc admits that Ferrari has faced difficulties in the first turns throughout the weekend, but suggests that it could work to their advantage in tomorrow’s race.
“We’ve been struggling in the first sector all weekend and we haven’t been able to find a solution,” he added. “Hopefully, it’ll be different during the race tomorrow.
“It’s probably due to differences in tire preparation across the field, and that might play a role. We’ve tried, but we’re still having significant difficulties in Turns 1, 2, and 3.”
Ferrari has placed great importance on building a more adaptable car this season that can maintain its strong performance over longer periods.
With Ferrari having resolved its issues with wind sensitivity from last year, Leclerc has expressed his optimism about the team’s potential in race conditions.
“The feeling is much improved compared to last year,” Leclerc said regarding 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 runs.
“This year, we’re in a better range for long runs, so it feels much better.
“It helps us be more consistent, but again, we’ll have to wait and see how competitive we are tomorrow.”