Mar.7 (GMM) Charles Leclerc has spoken openly about extending his Ferrari contract – but on track warned that Mercedes looks significantly stronger than anticipated in Melbourne.
Speaking to Sky Italia ahead of qualifying, the Monegasque driver drew a parallel with his recent wedding to Alexandra Saint Mleux. “A lifetime marriage to the red car? I don’t think a lifelong contract has ever been agreed upon, but the conversation is open.”
On the on-track picture, Leclerc was less romantic. “Unfortunately, we seem to be in a weak position, especially compared to Mercedes, which looks very, very strong,” he said.
“I don’t think they showed everything with a low fuel level, but with a high fuel level it was very impressive. It’s probably the first time we’ve seen how wide their range is, and it’s a bit more than I would have liked.”
He still sees Ferrari as a genuine threat. “In qualifying, I have a feeling it can be very close. In the race, it seems that Mercedes still has good potential. My feeling is that we’re second or third with Red Bull, with McLaren close behind and Mercedes ahead.”
Part of Mercedes’ early advantage stems from a compression ratio loophole in the new power unit regulations. The rules only require checks at ambient temperature until June 1, allowing Mercedes to exploit thermal expansion at operating temperatures – a trick rivals Ferrari, Honda and Audi lobbied the FIA to close.
The hot-condition test will now be introduced from June 1, six races into the season. “They fought hard to postpone this directive as long as possible,” one rival told Auto Motor und Sport. “You only do that if you want to preserve your advantage for as long as possible.
“They’ll still be better off, but not by as much.”
Former F1 driver Nick Heidfeld said he was sorry to see the loophole closed at all. “If a team is clever and gains an advantage, they should be allowed to use it,” he told Sport1.
“From what I’ve heard, Mercedes even cleared this with the FIA. If that’s the case, it’s a bitter pill to swallow when the advantage is later revoked.”
One area where Ferrari have genuine confidence is the race start. The team designed their entire power unit installation with the removal of the MGU-H in mind, giving them superior turbo spool-up times off the line.
Race director Rui Marquez has introduced a new 5-second pre-start warning procedure for Melbourne – grid panels flash blue for five seconds before the traditional light sequence begins, allowing drivers to build revs and address turbo lag concerns.
Straight mode has also been banned until after Turn 1 following safety concerns about closing speeds into the first corner.
Leclerc believes Ferrari’s start advantage could prove decisive given how difficult overtaking looks in the new cars. “At the start, we’re definitely stronger than the others, but I think that as the races go on, our rivals will also find their strength.
“The start remains a crucial moment of the race – perhaps the most important given the difficulties that emerged in testing with overtaking – and in this respect we are on the positive side.”
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