Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc stated on Tuesday that McLaren, the reigning Formula One champions, will still be the team to beat this season.
McLaren narrowly defeated Ferrari, who now have seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in their ranks, by 14 points to secure their first title in 26 years last season.
Data from Formula One testing suggested that the Woking-based team outpaced Ferrari in low-fuel conditions, although their advantage on race pace was slightly smaller, as seen during the Bahrain tests last week.
“Right now, I feel that McLaren remains the team to beat,” Leclerc remarked at an event in Maranello, Italy, celebrating 20 years of collaboration between Ferrari and the sports brand Puma.
“However, it’s quite difficult to draw any definitive conclusions from the tests because we have no idea about their fuel levels and other variables.”
“Our testing went quite smoothly, we completed our program, which is the key thing, and we didn’t encounter any major issues, which is good,” the Monegasque driver added.
“But the real picture will only become clear next week when we get to Australia for qualifying.”
Leclerc also expressed admiration for his new teammate, who will be aiming for a record eighth title at 40 years old.
“Of course, with Lewis, there was a lot of attention around the team during the winter break, but that’s to be expected. He’s a legend of the sport, and joining the most iconic team in Formula One is huge,” he said.
“I’ve been focusing on myself as much as I could over the winter break to ensure I’m fully prepared for this season, and I feel ready. Everyone seems very motivated, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
