Charles Leclerc gives verdict on F1 testing: “McLaren looks very strong, we need to work on the balance”. Charles Leclerc preaches patience after F1 testing.

F1 Bahrain Test, Charles Leclerc remains cautious

This is not the same deeply frustrated Charles Leclerc seen in the 2023 tests, but neither is he the epitome of happiness. Perhaps time has given the Monegasque driver more maturity and patience, as he does not want to make any predictions about the competitive order seen in the Bahrain tests. Maybe it’s because it’s too early, maybe because he has noticed a larger gap to McLaren compared to the end of 2024, or certainly because there are still two weeks of simulator work before Melbourne that could help fine-tune some details for Australia.

Charles Leclerc’s words

“It’s a bit difficult to confirm the feeling because I don’t think I’ve ever driven on a Sakhir track this cold,” Charles Leclerc said in the press conference. “There was also rain, the temperatures are not what we’re used to, so comparing to other years is very difficult. Usually, we have much hotter conditions. We are seeing all the numbers we expected. Today we struggled a bit more with balance, and yesterday afternoon it was a bit harder to manage, so there is still some work to do. Am I satisfied? Before making any judgments, I’d rather wait.

“Even in terms of hierarchy, it’s difficult to say, because we don’t know what fuel loads others are running. McLaren seems like a very strong car at the moment, but it’s too early to say. We need to focus on ourselves and not get caught up in the early rankings that we think we are seeing because we don’t know anything yet. There are still many question marks, but we have learned a lot during these first tests, and that will certainly help us find the right performance window for the first race.” – the Ferrari man pointed out.

The real unknown is what the other teams are working on: “In testing, you focus a lot on yourself, but you also keep an eye on what others are doing. However, we don’t know the conditions they are running in. This might give us an initial idea of what to expect, but there are still many uncertainties, so we have to take these times with caution. Nevertheless, it was very important for us to understand what we are lacking compared to them, but also compared to my own feelings. As I’ve said many times, there is still a lot of work to do to be ready for Melbourne—that’s what Lewis and I are trying to figure out together. The fact that one of us drives in the morning and the other in the afternoon means that while one is working, the other isn’t, so there isn’t much time to talk. But whenever we have a free minute, we always discuss the car, our sensations, our expectations, and what we haven’t yet managed to achieve as we would like, trying to compare notes.” – the Monegasque driver concluded.