Leclerc identifies 'big but' despite strong Baku's Friday for Ferrari

Summing up his performance in the opening two sessions, the Monegasque said: "(Today) was okay. I think there's a lot more potential, especially coming from me. I didn't do a great job today, but overall, we seem to be pretty strong, so it's good.

"But, and there's a big but, it looks like McLaren is in another world, literally, and I think people will be very surprised tomorrow because Lando didn't finish some laps that were very, very impressive."

The Monegasque believes that, despite securing first and second in the afternoon, Ferrari will hardly be able to challenge Red Bull, but is still in a good position compared to other direct rivals, including Mercedes and Red Bull.

"I doubt we'll be in the fight with them, but compared to the others, it seems that we are kind of in a good place."

Continuing his analysis, Leclerc added that it’s never over, although he isn’t particularly confident about challenging McLaren for the win.

In the morning, Leclerc had finished in third, compared to his teammate’s thirteenth, but in the afternoon the Briton shone, ending the day with the fastest time so far—already quicker than last season’s pole.

The gap between the two remains minimal, with less than a tenth separating them, while Ferrari can boast a significant advantage over its direct pursuers.

As Leclerc himself noted, however, McLaren is still missing from the equation, with Norris and Piastri unable, for different reasons, to put together a clean lap.

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