Leclerc lifts the lid on Ferrari’s true place in the pecking order

The Monegasque, speaking to GPblog among other media, feels everyone is currently passing the hot potato around, each team keen to cast its rivals as the favourites for now: “I think everybody's trying to throw the ball to the other guys, so it's normal at that point of the season. It's so difficult to understand. It was difficult with the previous generation of cars. But now with the hybrid and especially the electrical engine being so much more powerful, there are so many small tweaks that you can do.”

Leclerc pointed to Mercedes and Red Bull as particularly competitive, placing both ahead of the SF-26 for now, while describing McLaren as more of an unknown quantity at this stage.

The Ferrari driver also addressed Max Verstappen’s outspoken criticism of the new regulations.

Speaking to GPblog and other media, the Monegasque acknowledged that the latest generation of cars is not particularly fun to drive, but argued that the real test for drivers lies in adapting to the challenge and unlocking their full potential.