Charles Leclerc, of Ferrari, downplayed the Scuderia’s expected advantage at starts, after observing Mercedes’ impressive performance in the first qualifying session of the season, for the Formula 1 Australian GP, in Melbourne.
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Leclerc finished the session in fourth place, with his teammate, Lewis Hamilton in P7, just over a tenth behind. Despite the expectations generated in pre-season, Ferrari faced difficulties in energy management during Q2, compromising fast lap performance.
The driver explained that starts might not offer the advantage that was imagined: “I think there is a mistaken expectation about the starts. Our engine is a bit easier to get a good start, but if Mercedes does everything optimally, there won’t be that much difference. It will certainly be a bit more complicated for them to hit the sweet spot, but the difference won’t be that big,” he stated.
Leclerc also highlighted that overtaking rivals on the first lap does not guarantee a lasting advantage, as Mercedes showed superior pace during pre-season, free practice, and the qualifying session, securing P1 and P2: “There are many unknowns, I really don’t know how it’s going to be. You can easily overtake cars on the first lap, but you can also be overtaken on the next lap if you make a mistake,” he added.
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The Monegasque admitted surprise at the speed shown by Mercedes in FP3: “I think yesterday I said half a second, now it’s eight tenths, so it’s bigger than I expected, for sure. But it was already a significant difference yesterday. I was very impressed with the power they showed this morning. George’s (Russell) last lap was simply incredible. I looked at the data and had to review it because I thought there was a problem with what I was seeing, but apparently not. It’s very impressive,” he completed.
Leclerc’s statement shows that, despite the expectation of Ferrari leading with strong starts, Mercedes arrives at the season with superior pace, making the start of the race in Melbourne even more unpredictable.
