Leclerc sees Red Bull as favorite: "We are still a little bit behind them"

Ferrari heads into the opening weekend in Bahrain with a good base, but according to Charles Leclerc, his team is not the favourite for the world title. He believes that role is reserved for Red Bull Racing, although at the same time he warns against Mercedes.

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen clocked the fastest time during the winter test in Bahrain, but Ferrari also showed a very encouraging pace. Nevertheless, Leclerc thinks Red Bull is still slightly ahead of the Italian racing stable.

"I think Red Bull are the favourite, from what they have shown," says the Ferrari driver in conversation with Motorsportweek.com. "But I also think that Mercedes have not shown their full potential," he adds.

The Monegasque therefore expects Red Bull and Mercedes to once again be the "teams to beat" in 2022, but at the same time, he feels Ferrari is getting closer. "I feel that we are still a bit behind Red Bull," he says. The difference does seem smaller than in previous years, but according to Leclerc, Red Bull is the favourite for the time being.