Leclerc already sees atmosphere improving: 'We are working well together'

Charles Leclerc let it be known after the winter tests that the atmosphere at Ferrari is already a lot more optimistic than it was last season. Leclerc will form a driver pair with Carlos Sainz this season.

Ferrari had a winter with many changes. A brand new engine arrived and Sebastian Vettel was replaced by Sainz after six seasons at the Scuderia. Leclerc noticed immediate improvement during testing in Bahrain and he hopes that the dramatic year of 2020 can be brushed aside quickly.

"I think at first there was a strange atmosphere, at first in 2020 when we realised the reality of things that was quite a lot worse than we expected and there was a time where it was not great. But very quickly, the mentality changed and there was a huge motivation to try and come back where we want to be," Leclerc told the Official Formula 1 website.

Someone who has helped to improve the atmosphere is Leclerc's new teammate. The Monegasque speaks highly of Sainz: "Well, first of all, he’s a great guy; I think I’ve never spent as much time as I did with him before I started the season as I did with other team mates, so yeah, we are getting on very, very well and working well together."

But that's not the only thing that makes Sainz a great teammate. The Spaniard also brings experience from other teams, such as McLaren and Renault. Things seem to be going in the right direction at Ferrari. In just under two weeks we will see if they have actually made those steps forward.