Leclerc big favourite this season: 'New regulations suit him'

After three races it has become clear that Ferrari has the fastest car this season. In Bahrain and Australia Charles Leclerc managed to win the race and in Saudi Arabia it remained very exciting until the last corner. While Red Bull Racing's driver already has two DNFs behind his name, Leclerc is doing much better.

Martin Brundle also sees this, as he explains in his column on Sky Sports. "Leclerc has stepped up to a higher plane, delivering speed with consistency and seemingly always a half a step ahead of this car, rather than close to the edge of the car's limit. The new regulations suit him and he's developed confidence and increased self-belief."

With his second win in three races, the Monegasque is now on 71 points in the drivers' championship. This puts him 34 points ahead of George Russell, who has risen to second place in the standings after his third place in Melbourne. Verstappen can be found in sixth place, with only 25 points.

Third place in the championship is Carlos Sainz, who dropped out early in the race after two podium finishes. The Spaniard's problems piled up from qualifying and that only got worse in the race. According to Brundle, a clear ranking is already starting to emerge within Ferrari.

"He may well end up having to play a supporting role to Leclerc from here, depending on how the competition shapes up and if he can win the next couple of races."