“Very spectacular” Mercedes isn’t sandbagging anymore

Mercedes’ tempo in free observe for the Australian Grand Prix reveals the Silver Arrows aren’t concealing their true efficiency like they used to, in response to Charles Leclerc.

McLaren was quickest on Friday in Melbourne with Oscar Piastri lapping in 1m19.729s; Mercedes was two tenths away with Kimi Antonelli setting a 1m19.943s, however the W17’s long-run tempo significantly impressed Leclerc, who ended up greater than half a second off Piastri’s tempo after a few off-track excursions.

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“I feel Mercedes is slowly displaying a bit extra of what they’ve, and FP2 we’re beginning to see the place we’re missing in comparison with them,” the Monegasque stated. “They’re clearly very robust, particularly when it comes to race tempo. I do not understand how a lot margin they nonetheless have on qualifying tempo however within the race tempo they appear to be very robust in comparison with us.”

“Race tempo, they have been very, very spectacular,” he added. “When it comes to qualifying tempo, once more, it is troublesome to understand how way more there’s to return. Oscar did a really spectacular lap, however I do not know additionally what they’re doing between the vehicles as a result of possibly they is perhaps testing various things between the vehicles, as a result of Lando was fairly far again.

“Once more it is the primary race of a totally new automotive, so numerous query marks – however on the long term I’ll say you have got a little bit of a greater image of what is going on on within the performances of everyone thus far. I hope I am improper and that we’re a lot quicker tomorrow, however in the intervening time it appears to be Mercedes a step forward after which Crimson Bull, McLaren and ourselves after.”

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs

Leclerc’s team-mate Lewis Hamilton was nearer to the entrance, lapping two tenths quicker in 1m20.050s, and the 28-year-old has admitted to having work to do after a set-up experiment did not repay.

“I do not actually deal with [Mercedes], we have loads of issues to enhance on our automotive,” Leclerc identified. “In FP2 I attempted one thing fairly aggressive which did not work out, so I will be again tomorrow right into a extra cheap window and we’ll see the way it appears to be like like.

“There’s nonetheless some work to do. As I’ve all the time stated, Melbourne and Shanghai are most likely the 2 hardest tracks for me of the season, and I all the time battle fairly a bit, so it is a problem. However it should not be an excuse, and truly I take pleasure in that problem, and I’ll work arduous to be able to flip that state of affairs round tomorrow.”

Leclerc did win the 2022 Australian GP from pole place, however he was outqualified by team-mate Carlos Sainz the subsequent two years, with the Spaniard main a Ferrari 1-2 in 2024.

Final yr, Leclerc outperformed Hamilton on his option to a lowly eighth-place end within the race.

Photographs from Australian GP – Friday

Oscar Piastri, McLaren