Charles Leclerc enters the 2025 F1 season as one of the leading contenders for the championship, determined to take the fight to Max Verstappen. The Monegasque driver came close to securing second place in the standings last year but ultimately lost out to Lando Norris. However, his strong form in the latter half of the season—where he secured three victories and 13 podium finishes—made him the highest-scoring driver in that period. With Ferrari making significant strides in performance in 2024, Leclerc is optimistic about maintaining that momentum with the SF-25, which now features a completely redesigned pull-rod front suspension.
Leclerc and his new teammate, Lewis Hamilton, took the SF-25 out for its first laps at Fiorano on Wednesday, just a day after Ferrari unveiled their latest livery at the F1 75 launch event. Interestingly, Leclerc admitted that he hadn’t seen the design before its official reveal.
With a fresh outlook, the Monegasque driver is fully focused on mounting a title challenge in 2025, believing that a shift in mentality has put him in a much stronger position.
Charles Leclerc Admits He Once Struggled to Accept Ferrari’s Shortcomings, Now Embraces a New Mindset
Leclerc achieved his highest-ever points tally in 2024, marking his second-best finish in the championship after securing runner-up in 2022. However, his 2023 campaign proved far more frustrating, as Red Bull’s dominant RB19 won all but one race, leaving Ferrari to celebrate just a single victory courtesy of Carlos Sainz at the Marina Bay circuit in Singapore. Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, managed only six podiums and finished fifth in the standings.
Reflecting on his past mindset, Charles Leclerc admitted in an interview with Lawrence Barretto on F1’s official YouTube channel that he once found it impossible to accept when his car wasn’t competitive. Instead of adjusting expectations, he would enter races clinging to the hope of a miracle performance.
However, after shifting his approach in 2024, Leclerc now feels far more content with his performances and is determined to carry that mindset into 2025 as he pushes for his first world championship.
When asked if he believes he can challenge for the championship this season with a competitive car, Leclerc expressed confidence that he could. He acknowledged that his approach had shifted following the 2023 season, during which he struggled to accept that Ferrari wasn’t fast enough to win. At times, he admitted, this led him to push for miracles on track—an approach that didn’t always pay off and occasionally cost him valuable points.
After reflecting on his performance, the Monegasque driver realized he needed to adjust his mindset heading into 2024. He recognized the importance of capitalizing on available points rather than taking unnecessary risks, and he felt that this change had been successfully implemented throughout the season. Looking back, he believed there had been very few, if any, missed opportunities, which left him highly satisfied with his overall performance.
Charles Leclerc made it clear that he intends to maintain this approach in 2025. The Monegasque added that if Ferrari provides him with a competitive car from the opening round to the season finale, he is confident they will have a genuine shot at fighting for the world championship—something he described as his ultimate dream.
Ferrari’s first test of the SF-25 took place at Fiorano on Wednesday, with Charles Leclerc taking the car out in the morning and Lewis Hamilton following in the afternoon. During Charles Leclerc’s run, he encountered a “problem” that caused him to stop on track, but fortunately, it turned out to be a minor issue, as the session was merely a car shakedown and not part of pre-season testing ahead of next week’s session in Bahrain.
In terms of lap times, Charles Leclerc was eight-tenths quicker than Hamilton during their respective runs. However, this time difference should be viewed with caution, as the two drivers may have been running different set-ups or using different tire compounds. Charles Leclerc’s performance was notably strong, as he came very close to Michael Schumacher’s all-time Fiorano lap record, posting a best time of 56.06 seconds—an impressive feat for the Monegasque driver.
Although the test was not open to the public, thousands of Ferrari fans gathered at the circuit to witness the team’s 2025 challenger in action. Lewis Hamilton, appreciative of the fervent support, expressed his gratitude on social media, simply writing “Grazie Tifosi” to thank the passionate crowd for their dedication to the team.
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