Ferrari set for rebound as Leclerc sees ‘step forward’ in China

Charles Leclerc believes Ferrari can recover from their lackluster start to the 2025 Formula 1 season at this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, citing lessons learned from a disappointing Melbourne opener.

After finishing eighth in Australia – where a late rain shower and a strategic tyre blunder hobbled both the Monegasque and teammate Lewis Hamilton, who took 10th – Leclerc is optimistic about a turnaround.

Despite Ferrari’s pre-season promise fading in the Albert Park gloom, Leclerc insists the team has dissected their missteps and is poised to “do a step forward” in Shanghai.

Building from Melbourne’s Missteps

At Albert Park, Ferrari’s pace lagged behind expectations set by a strong Bahrain test, and a decision to keep both drivers on slicks too long during a late downpour cost them dearly. Yet, Leclerc sees it as a blip, not a benchmark. And also as a learning opportunity.

“There are many things that we can definitely learn from the first weekend,” he told the official F1 channel.

“Obviously many things haven’t gone the way we wanted them to go, but it’s only the first race of the season. We’ve learned many things since then and I’m sure that we will put all the bits together for this weekend and will do a step forward,” he said.

The 27-year-old therefore remains bullish on Ferrari’s potential.

“I still remain convinced that the potential of the car is much better than what we have seen from that first weekend. But now we need to show that on track,” he asserted.

McLaren Match-Up: A Track-Dependent Fight

Can Ferrari challenge McLaren in China? Leclerc tempered expectations with pragmatism.

“It’s difficult to know because now every little difference can have a big influence on track,” he replied. “Also I think the track layout can have a big influence on whether you are fast or not.

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“If you look at the last four or five races of last year, it was Mercedes dominating in Las Vegas, us very fast in Mexico, McLaren very, very fast in Abu Dhabi and that was basically the same car.”

Shanghai’s unique demands – long straights and high-speed sweeps – could play to Ferrari’s strengths, but Leclerc knows precision will be key.

Staying the Course: No Panic in Maranello

Despite the Melbourne stumble grabbing headlines, Leclerc urged Ferrari to keep perspective.

“At this point of the season you don’t really have any upgrades, so I think there are many factors that come into play,” he explained, noting the absence of quick fixes early in 2025.

He downplayed the gap to McLaren, suggesting it’s narrower than it appeared.

“We need to stay calm. The first weekend was definitely disappointing and there’s a long way to go before getting back to the level of McLaren but I don’t think we are as far [away] as what we saw on the first weekend,” he said.

Drawing on Ferrari’s late-2024 resurgence, Leclerc advocated for patience.

“So we really need to not overreact, keep working in the right direction like we have been in the last few months, and I’m sure the results will come,” he concluded.

As Ferrari prepares for Shanghai’s Sprint weekend, Leclerc’s steady hand signals a team intent on progress, not panic – ready to turn lessons into lap times.

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