Leclerc is convinced that Ferrari does not yet have what it takes to compete with Mercedes in the constructors’ championship. The Ferrari team is exactly twenty points behind the German team, but is struggling to get closer to the team.
The Monegasque clearly knows what Ferrari is lacking. “Race pace is what we miss the most,” he admitted to international media. “We are twenty points behind Mercedes, that is what we have to focus on in the short term,” he adds. Mercedes had a tough race in Brazil, but due to Leclerc’s accident in the formation lap, Ferrari was only able to gain points with one car to gain ground against the German team.
Rising
“Since Zandvoort we have made great strides forward in understanding our car, in the concepts we have and the directions we have taken,” Leclerc explains. ‘So far, the first part of the season has mainly focused on exploring the path we should take for the future. We have now set a clearer course and understand which direction to take,” he added.
Ferrari still has two races to prove itself and overtake Mercedes. The fact that the team finally knows which direction to take is a good sign according to Leclerc. “This gives me confidence that we can close the gap in the future, but how close we get or when that will happen is much more difficult to answer,” the Monegasque said.
Big dreams
However, the Italian racing team not only plans to compete with Mercedes for the constructors’ championship, the team has bigger dreams. “Ferrari wants to be at the top again,” says Leclerc confidently. “There are many more points to be earned to become the leading team, especially against a Red Bull that is very strong at the moment,” he added.
For now, Leclerc is focusing on Ferrari’s long-term goals. “We are doing everything we can to return to the performance level of the beginning of last year, when we were fighting for victories and the championship,” said Leclerc.
