Charles Leclerc made a spectacular start at the Australian Grand Prix, quickly taking the lead of the race. The Ferrari driver explains, however, that everything was far from perfect at the moment the lights went out.
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The start of the Australian Grand Prix provided one of the striking images of the race. Thanks to a lightning-fast acceleration, Charles Leclerc leaped forward as soon as the lights went out, quickly gaining the advantage over his rivals.
On the radio, the Monegasque driver even compared this start to a well-known bonus for video game fans: “It was like the mushroom in Mario Kart!” he exclaimed at the time.
As observed during winter testing, the Ferraris seem particularly high-performing at the start thanks to their more compact turbo. After only a few laps, the Scuderia found itself in an ideal position: Leclerc was leading the race while Lewis Hamilton occupied third place.
A start that was far from perfect, however
Despite the impression left from the outside, Leclerc ensures that the start phase was not as ideal as it looked. The Ferrari driver explains in particular that he encountered difficulties related to energy management.
“Not at all, not at all. From the outside it seemed very good, but I think we all had the same problem for some reason and it’s something we need to analyze,” he explains.
According to him, the level of energy available in the battery was particularly low at the time of the start.
“My battery was also very, very low for one reason or another. It was probably a bit more charged than the others’, which helped me get ahead, but it was very far from optimal.”
This situation, moreover, did not only concern Ferrari. Several drivers, including those from Mercedes, also seemed to lack energy during the getaway.
“I thought I would find myself eighth or ninth, but when I started I saw that everyone had problems and that I was the one who had the least.”
An encouraging race despite the gap with Mercedes
After a lively start to the race and several duels with George Russell, the Ferrari’s pace stabilized. The red car was about two-tenths of a second behind per lap compared to the Briton’s Mercedes, a smaller gap than the one observed in qualifying.
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Leclerc admits to being rather surprised by the Scuderia’s performance level in race conditions.
“Very satisfied is perhaps a big word, but I am pleasantly surprised, he confides. In qualifying, we were clearly not in our optimal window and we were very far from the Mercedes.”
The situation seemed more balanced over the duration of a stint: “In the race, we seem to be a bit closer. That doesn’t mean we are the fastest car, but the gap is a bit more reasonable.”
A strategy assumed despite some regrets
Ferrari also raised questions regarding its strategy, notably by not taking advantage of the first virtual safety car period to make a pit stop, unlike Mercedes.
Leclerc nevertheless asserts that this choice was fully assumed by the team. The Scuderia was actually hoping for another neutralization later in the race.
“I don’t regret it. It was a deliberate and conscious choice. Since the start of the weekend, there was at least one car stopped in every session. We thought there would probably be another virtual safety car and we decided to wait.”
Luck was not on Ferrari’s side, however. When the next neutralization occurred after Valtteri Bottas’s breakdown, the pit lane was closed.
“We finally had other virtual safety cars, including one very well placed for us. But unfortunately, the pit entry was closed at that time.”
A challenge already in sight for China
The Scuderia will have little time to analyze these elements before the next round of the championship. The Chinese Grand Prix, held in a sprint format, will require teams to be immediately competitive.
“There are a lot of things to analyze, but in Shanghai it will be crucial to master everything from the start, Leclerc concludes. With a sprint race so early in the season, it will be a huge challenge for everyone.”
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