The Barcelona podium at the 4.657-kilometre Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was a breath of fresh air, but Charles Leclerc isn’t fooled. Behind the smile lies a clear awareness: Ferrari still isn’t where it should be. “Today we’re on the podium thanks to the safety car. Otherwise, our place was fourth,” he stated bluntly. “I don’t think I’m more confident in our ability to finish there consistently, but we’re starting to understand the car and how to set it up to get the most out of it.” – he pointed out at the end of the Spanish Grand Prix.
A technical improvement that, according to the Monegasque driver, is coming at too high a cost in terms of driveability. The ideal setup still requires extreme compromises that make a driver’s job difficult. “We need something new, soon. Otherwise, it’ll be hard to fight regularly for podiums.”
The Spanish podium, his second in a row after Monaco, was therefore a “nice surprise,” also aided by a bit of luck. But the pecking order hasn’t changed, and Charles Leclerc doesn’t hide it. “I’m not over the moon for a third place. But coming here, I didn’t expect it. It was a good result, also thanks to strategy. Now, though, we need to make real progress.”
A clear statement: concrete development is needed, and fast. For now, Ferrari still relies too often on the talent of its number 16. That won’t be enough to start winning consistently again.
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