Leclerc: 'It's going to be hard to keep up with Red Bull in terms of development'

Charles Leclerc may have built a comfortable lead in the first races of the season, but he remains vigilant when it comes to his competition at Red Bull Racing. Indeed, the team of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez is known for being able to develop a car well during the season.

Different mentality at Ferrari

Leclerc is in his prime at Ferrari. The Monegasque has been driving for the Italian team since 2019, but this season he can take a shot at the world title for the first time. The fact that Ferrari can compete for the top prizes again after a worse period means a lot to the team, Leclerc stated in an interview with Formula1.co.uk. "It feels incredible, especially after the last few years."

According to Leclerc, there is also a different mentality at the team now that there is a car capable of winning again. Ferrari's last win dated back to Singapore 2019, so after two dry years, the victory in Bahrain came as a godsend. Ferrari's last world title dates back to 2007 with Kimi Raikkonen. Among the constructors, the last time the title was grabbed was in 2008.

Cautious of Red Bull's development

Although Mercedes is second in the championship, it is mainly Red Bull that is able to challenge Ferrari. Only reliability is not yet in order at the Austrian team. However, Leclerc does not want to count the team out just yet. "It will be difficult to keep up with Red Bull in terms of development," he points to the strong development force of Verstappen's team.

Although Leclerc remains wary of Red Bull, at the same time he has every confidence in his own team. Ferrari has done a good job with the car for this season, according to him, and there are also some updates coming. "I am confident that it will go in the right direction," he said.