Ferrari is not at its best but is making progress. Charles Leclerc admitted he didn’t expect such a result but is starting to think the work of the past few weeks is finally paying off. He has tried different setup solutions, as we know, without going against the team and by choosing a new driving style. The Monegasque has found a direction that seems tailor-made for him: now he’s able to get more out of the SF-25.
After qualifying, the the Ferrari man highlighted how crucial the support from the team, both on track and in Maranello, has been: everything worked as expected. He knows the race will be a different story, but thanks to George Russell’s disqualification, he gets the satisfaction of starting from the front row. Holding that position won’t be easy, but he’ll try. It would be a great morale boost and an important push for the entire team.
Looking at his performance, it’s clear how Charles Leclerc is using the SF-25’s flaws to his advantage. That’s why he seems very pleased with his lap—he feels he got absolutely everything out of it. He’s been working in a specific direction for a few race weekends now, and the signs remain encouraging. He feels more and more at ease with the car, the new setup suits him well, and this is motivating him a lot.
The Ferrari driver also explained that being so close to McLaren in qualifying was unexpected. In fact, he thought both W16 Mercedes cars would be more of a threat. Looking ahead to the race, he remains realistic: in his view, Piastri and Norris will have a bit more pace. He saw the Free Practice 3 times and, like many in the paddock, wondered how they managed to do it. Finally, he thanked the team for the effort in bringing updates, even if he knows this track isn’t the best to fully showcase them.
Charles Leclerc is giving more trust to his car, even though it doesn’t offer much to the drivers. There are still several ongoing issues, and Charles Leclerc is driving above the SF-25’s actual potential. This is evident in certain parts of the track, where the Monegasque lets the car flow more, with the rear getting light and tending to lose grip in various corners.
By keeping his foot down, he managed to gain valuable time, pushing his car to the limit through high-speed sections, especially in the snake, although still slower than the super McLaren and the Mercedes. Most likely, the Maranello team is still using ride heights slightly higher than they’d like. This is noticeable when observing performance through turns 5, 6, and 7.
Confirming what we have analyzed in recent days, Charles Leclerc is very good at managing the lack of rotation—unlike his teammate, who simply can’t handle it. The 27-year-old driver attacks the inside curbs much more aggressively. The SF-25 car isn’t perfect and gets unsettled, but he is excellent at managing his line with many tiny micro-corrections, which of course cost some time on the stopwatch.
However, over the course of the whole lap, this approach pays off. In addition, Charles Leclerc applies a much more effective brake pedal pressure profile to manage the understeer. Moreover, Ferrari has generally decided to move the brake balance rearwards, both via Brake Balance and the latest setting of Brake Migration. Lewis Hamilton seems a bit lost and hasn’t yet adapted.
This afternoon, we’ll find out if, with a full fuel load—like in Japan, Charles Leclerc will be able to deliver a strong performance and fight for the podium. Starting up front will make his job easier, and if FP2 was accurate, the tire degradation on car number 16 looked very good. A clean start will be crucial—no mistakes allowed if the goal is to be achieved. One last final observation: the new floor will work better in Jeddah, as will Charles Leclerc’s recent adjustments. But there is plenty of time to talk about this later.
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