Charles Leclerc admitted to feeling somewhat frustrated after finishing fourth in Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix, despite starting the race in Sakhir on the front row.
Ferrari’s upgraded SF-25, featuring a modified floor, showed promise on Saturday with improved downforce, but Sunday’s race exposed its limitations according to the Monegasque.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri dominated with a 15-second victory, while Lando Norris fought back to third despite an early penalty. Leclerc, unable to match their pace, pointed to a lack of grip and downforce as Ferrari’s Achilles’ heel in their bid to challenge the MCL39’s supremacy.
A Snowball Effect in the Race
Leclerc was blunt in his assessment. “I think we just need more overall downforce, more grip,” he told the media post-race.
“I think the balance - we are extracting the maximum out of the car at the moment, but there's just nothing more, I just need more grip to go faster around the corners.
“In qualifying, I still feel like we can hide that a little bit, doing a few tricks. But then once you are in the race, no grip is no grip.
“It’s more degradation, so it’s a snowball effect once you are in the race. So it’s a bit trickier in the race.”
Leclerc remained optimistic but uncertain about a turnaround, saying, “Eventually, I’m sure that we’ll find our way - but how long before we do, I don’t know.”
McLaren’s Tyre Mastery and Ferrari’s Focus
Leclerc acknowledged McLaren’s edge, particularly in tyre management.
“McLaren has a big advantage in terms of managing the overheating. That’s where I think we need to put most focus as a team, because once [it] comes to the race, they are just a step ahead,” he confirmed.
©Ferrari
However, he made it a point of dismissing any foul play by McLaren.
“I don’t think [it’s] tricks. I think it’s downforce and probably something that they managed to do with the tyres in general,” he said.
“But I have no doubt that everything is legal or whatsoever. By saying ‘tricks,’ I don’t want it to be misunderstood. But for sure, they are doing something very good with their tyres, and they manage to keep those temperatures lower than everybody else.”
Strategic Reflections Amid the Chaos
Reflecting on Ferrari’s strategy, Leclerc addressed his earlier radio suggestion of a one-stop.
“I felt like it was at one point [a one-stop race], but we did the right thing, especially considering the safety car,” he said.
“So I mean nobody knew that there would be a safety car in the second part of the race, but at the end, it ended up being the right thing to go for two stops.
On switching to hard tyres late in the race, he added: “I think it was [the right call] considering what we had, but when you look at George, he obviously managed to make those softs last until the end.
“I don’t think that this was a possibility for us, but we’ll review that. But I don’t think that was a game-changer.”
For Ferrari, the path to catching McLaren remains steep.
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