Charles Leclerc is disappointed with his fourth-place finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver started the weekend full of optimism with the upgrade package and even started from the front row. However, he lost speed during the race, which resulted in him missing out on the podium. According to the Monegasque, the limitations of the SF-25 become apparent during the race, while they can be hidden during qualifying with ‘tricks’.
Ferrari headed to Bahrain with confidence, armed with an upgrade package. The new components, including a revised floor, marked a step in the right direction. However, Charles Leclerc emphasized to the media present that Ferrari is still not competitive enough after four races this season. “I think we just need more overall downforce, more grip,” he said. “I think we’re getting the maximum out of the car right now, but there’s just no more. I need more grip to get around the corner faster.”
Snowball Effect
Leclerc qualified third for the Bahrain Grand Prix but started second due to a grid penalty for George Russell. In the race, the Monegasque had to concede to both the Mercedes driver and Lando Norris, which pushed him back to fourth place. According to Leclerc, the limitations of the SF-25 are exposed during the race, as fresh tires and a low fuel level hide the weak points in qualifying. “In qualifying, I still feel like we can hide that a bit by doing a few tricks,” he explained. “But once I’m in the race, there’s no grip. It’s like a snowball effect.”
Leclerc is unsure when the Maranello team will implement more developments to close the gap with McLaren and doesn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel yet. “I don’t know. I think the tunnel is longer than I would like.”
