In a gripping season opener at the Australian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc has voiced his concerns regarding the formidable pace of Mercedes, even as Ferrari showcased promising results during Friday’s practice sessions. After a stellar performance in pre-season testing, where he clocked the fastest time, Leclerc initially carried that momentum into Australia, dominating FP1 with the quickest lap.
The SF-26, building on its impressive performance from Bahrain, displayed remarkable speed during both short and long runs, igniting hopes for a potential Ferrari resurgence in the 2026 season. However, the optimism was tempered when Leclerc slipped to fifth place in FP2, despite Ferrari consistently hovering near the top of the timing sheets during the session.
As the shadows of Mercedes loomed larger, the Silver Arrows displayed their strength by securing second and third positions in FP2. This prompted Leclerc to acknowledge the undeniable prowess of his rivals, as he confirmed that Ferrari is diligently working to assess the gap that separates them from Mercedes. “I think Mercedes is slowly showing a bit more of what they have, and FP2 we are starting to see where we are lacking compared to them,” he stated, emphasizing their formidable race pace.
He continued, “They are clearly very strong, especially in terms of race pace. I don’t know how much margin they still have on qualifying pace but in the race pace they seem to be very strong compared to us.” Leclerc’s assessment of their performance was clear-cut: “Race pace, they were very, very impressive. In terms of qualifying pace, again, it’s difficult to know how much more there is to come.”
Leclerc also noted the intriguing performance of his competitors, particularly Oscar Piastri, who delivered an outstanding lap, while Lando Norris struggled further back. “Again it’s the first race of a completely new car, so lots of question marks – but on the long run I will say you have a bit of a better picture of what’s going on in the performances of everybody so far.” He candidly expressed his hope that Ferrari could find a way to improve before qualifying, admitting, “at the moment it seems to be Mercedes a step ahead and then Red Bull, McLaren and ourselves after.”
Despite these challenges, Leclerc remains resolute in his commitment to maximizing Ferrari’s performance in Melbourne and the upcoming Chinese GP. “I don’t really focus on [Mercedes], we’ve got plenty of things to improve on our car,” he affirmed.
Reflecting on his strategy during FP2, he acknowledged experimenting with an aggressive setup that ultimately did not yield the desired results. “I’ll be back tomorrow into a more reasonable window and we’ll see how it looks like.” With the Australian and Shanghai circuits historically presenting difficulties for him, Leclerc embraces the challenge ahead. “It shouldn’t be an excuse, and actually I enjoy that challenge, and I will work hard in order to turn that situation around tomorrow.”
As the excitement builds for the race weekend, all eyes will be on Leclerc and Ferrari to see if they can bridge the gap to the impressive Mercedes, setting the stage for what promises to be a thrilling season ahead.
