Leclerc: “It looked like Mercedes had a bit more pace [...] but maybe not as much as we saw yesterday”
- Charlotte Mui
- 6 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Written by Charlotte Mui
Charles Leclerc put up a valiant fight for victory at Albert Park this morning, taking the lead into Turn 1 from fourth on the grid.
Although the Mercedes cars had looked quicker than the Ferraris throughout the weekend, Leclerc managed to hold onto the lead and consistently fight George Russell for position during the opening 20 laps, passing and re-passing one another.
The pair produced an extremely entertaining battle for fans. After many had doubted and criticised the new generation of cars, the race appeared to show that they can deliver plenty of close battles up and down the grid.
Leclerc indicated that defending had been particularly challenging: “I don’t think any of us knew what to expect with the fights and the energy.
“It’s then even more tricky for the overtakes to defend, you don’t really [know] when your battery is going to cut in the straight.
“So while defending there is massive speed differences, it’s been quite challenging, but I was happy to get out of the battle in first.”
Ultimately, a safety car and a questionable strategy call dealt a blow to Leclerc’s fight for victory. While leading the race by seven-tenths ahead of Russell, Isack Hadjar’s car broke down, bringing out a virtual safety car. While Mercedes opted to pit their drivers, Ferrari chose to leave both Leclerc and Hamilton out, a decision that may have cost them the win.
Leclerc, however, had doubts about whether Ferrari truly had the pace to beat Mercedes over the full 58 laps.
“I don’t think so,” he said, when asked whether he thought Ferrari had the opportunity to win the race.
“It looked like Mercedes maybe had a bit more pace than us today, but maybe not as much as we saw yesterday, so that’s a good thing, but I don’t think we could have won.”
While the Monegasque eventually had to settle for third place, Ferrari will take confidence from the race that they may not be as far behind Mercedes in race trim as they previously thought.
It will be fascinating to see how this rivalry develops over the course of the season.
