Former Formula 1 driver Jean Alesi showed optimism about Ferrari’s start to the season. The Frenchman stated he was very satisfied with the team’s initial performance and believes that, this time, the Maranello team has finally started the championship with a competitive car.
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The assessment gains weight due to Alesi’s history with Ferrari and also his previous predictions, which have not always been confirmed. The former driver himself admitted that he had made mistakes in the past when evaluating the team’s potential, especially after seasons where performance did not meet expectations.
“At the time, I suffered because I said we had found something,” Alesi said in an interview with Racing365News. “At the end of the season, when they asked me how Ferrari’s year had been, I said: ‘A catastrophe.’ It was a catastrophe, but I didn’t say anything wrong. I just reported the facts,” he stated.
This time, however, the Frenchman believes the scenario is different: “I am very satisfied with how they started the season, because they started with a real Ferrari car. I am very impressed,” he said.
Ferrari currently occupies second position in the constructors’ championship, with three podiums and ninety points. Still, the team is forty-five points behind Mercedes, which won the first three races and also the Sprint race in China. Although Ferrari shows competitiveness at the starts, the team loses performance when Mercedes’ pace is established.
Charles Leclerc achieved two podiums at the start of this season, while Lewis Hamilton secured his first top-three finish with the Italian team at the Chinese GP. Even with the Briton behind Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, as well as his own teammate, Alesi urged caution in evaluations.
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“Absolutely. Lewis has seven Formula 1 titles. It is still important that he is part of the development of a big project, even if it is difficult. The season is still early and he always feels good,” Alesi said. The Frenchman also disapproves of the criticism of the Briton: “The Italian press criticized him at one point, and that was not justified. But we saw in China and Melbourne that he is there.”
Alesi also highlighted Leclerc’s quality and placed the Monegasque among the best on the grid: “Charles is Charles. He is highly valued by me as a driver. Max and Charles are the best for me currently,” he stated, also referring to Max Verstappen.
According to Alesi, the championship battle should still undergo changes throughout the year, especially with additional opportunities for power unit development after the Miami GP: “It’s a long championship. Everything depends on car development, which is now better than most, but a little below Mercedes,” he added.
The Frenchman also reminded that McLaren will also be an important adversary and warned of the threat from Red Bull Racing: “Don’t forget Red Bull. They have Max Verstappen… and Max is Max!” he concluded.
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