After a slow start last season, Leclerc insists Ferrari must be competitive from the opening race to challenge Red Bull for the title.
Ferrari’s competitiveness this year will not rely solely on aerodynamics but also on the team’s ability to handle pressure, emotions, and operations in the midst of a Grand Prix.
This has often been a weakness for Maranello—one that Frédéric Vasseur has begun to address, even turning it into a strength.
“We have made great progress, and I think it has made the difference by allowing us to react faster when we find ourselves in more difficult situations,” Charles Leclerc also confirmed.
Since securing his seat as a full-time driver six years ago, Leclerc says he has never seen Ferrari in such a strong position.
“I can confidently say this is the best mentality within the team that I have seen since I arrived here.”
However, the Monegasque remains cautious, as not a single lap of winter testing has yet been completed.
“I remember my first day at Ferrari in 2019—I was so confident after testing because things had gone well, and then I was so disappointed after the first race that I promised myself never to have expectations again. So, I don’t really have any specific expectations.”
“But in reality, the team’s mentality and mindset are very strong today. And that makes me very happy.”
“Competitiveness is very difficult to judge because I don’t know what McLaren or Red Bull have found in their developments—nor Mercedes, for that matter. So on that front, we still have to wait. But in terms of mentality and working methods, we are at a very good level, and that fully satisfies me.”
Frédéric Vasseur has not only recruited Lewis Hamilton to strengthen the Scuderia. Charles Leclerc also highlights the contributions of Jérôme D’Ambrosio, who has joined as Vasseur’s deputy, and Loïc Serra, now leading chassis development as technical director.
“What I really like about them is that they are very similar to Fred in the way they manage emotions, and that’s a good thing,” explains Charles Leclerc.
“Whether you speak to Fred, Jérôme, or Loïc, you feel the same approach. That’s a very important factor because Ferrari is a big team, and not everyone can speak directly to Fred, Jérôme, or Loïc. But together, they communicate with many people within Ferrari, and having this consistency in their approach is a great strength.”
“They manage emotions very effectively, and in a team like Ferrari, where they can run high, I have always said that this is a major asset.”
Getting Development Right
A key factor in Ferrari’s success will be ensuring proper correlation between wind tunnel and simulator development with on-track performance—an area where the Scuderia struggled even midway through the 2024 season.
“I think it’s inherent to these regulations,” Leclerc explained.
“We tend to run these cars very close to the ground, which means we often make contact with the track. And when that happens… it is very difficult to replicate this phenomenon in the wind tunnel or through CFD simulation. That makes this generation of cars particularly tricky.”
“This explains why some teams encounter unexpected issues on track. Maybe there are ways to anticipate them better—we have worked as much as possible on these aspects. But when it happens, it means something unforeseen has occurred, and it could happen again.”
“In these situations, the way we approach problem-solving is crucial. We have become stronger in this area, and once again, it comes down to the team’s mentality, how we handle issues and emotions. We have made huge progress, and that has allowed us to bounce back better in more challenging moments.”
Which Direction for the SF-25?
And in which direction has the development of the SF-25 gone? Can Charles Leclerc provide any hints?
“At the end of 2023, we knew very clearly which characteristics of the car needed to be changed because some issues were obvious.”
“In 2024, the situation was different. The car was fundamentally sound. The only things we wanted to adjust were related to an upgrade that hadn’t worked. But after that, we had a very good car—we were just lacking performance. So that’s what we focused on with this new single-seater: making small improvements in every area rather than concentrating all our efforts on a single aspect.”
First Run at Fiorano: Any Weaknesses Detected?
Did Ferrari’s first outing at Fiorano already allow Charles Leclerc to identify any weaknesses in the car?
“It is very difficult to feel these evolutions on a Thursday, on a track like Fiorano, with such cold conditions,” he explained.
“We will learn much more in Bahrain. But the goal of a day like this is primarily to gather the first data and ensure no major issues arise. So far, nothing concerning has emerged, which is a good initial sign. But beyond that, it’s too early to draw conclusions.”
Starting Fast and Strong
Charles Leclerc also wants to address one final weakness from 2024: Ferrari took too long to get going, while Red Bull was able to strike immediately.
“The other issue is that we weren’t competitive enough for too much of the season.”
“We need to fix that and start this new season on better foundations, being immediately at the level of the leaders so we can fight from the very first races. Our season was very solid, but we simply weren’t fast enough in the first part.”
“To win the championship, we absolutely must be in the mix from the opening races,” he concluded.
“But we did an excellent job in the second half of the season. We worked well, and I hope we can build on this momentum to start strong this year. We’ll see how it goes.”
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Ferrari’s Fast Start: Leclerc Demands Immediate Impact Ferrari’s Fast Start: Leclerc Demands Immediate Impact Ferrari’s Fast Start: Leclerc Demands Immediate Impact
