Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has expressed concerns about the speed of his Ferrari SF-25 during the Formula One opening race at Australia's Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, where he came in eighth place, alongside his new teammate. Lewis Hamilton solidified tenth place. Conversely, their closest competitors, McLaren and Red Bull, demonstrated a commanding speed, highlighting a performance discrepancy that Ferrari needs to tackle promptly.
Adding to the troubles for both Ferrari drivers, opting for intermediate tires late in the race because of rain in the latter stages compromised their opportunity to improve their final standings. Despite showing strength during the practice sessions at the Australian Grand Prix, Ferrari struggled with speed during qualifying following adjustments to the SF-23’s configuration.
Given Ferrari’s aim to secure the Constructors’ Championship this season, achieving success will necessitate both speed and the correct strategic decisions. In response to the delayed pit stops and loss of velocity, Leclerc stated the following: media :
It was certainly a lost chance. I mean, particularly under such fluctuating circumstances where we lack speed, that’s typically when we should be capitalizing on scoring points, but we failed to do so today.
We simply weren’t quick enough early in the race when things were somewhat dull, and later on, when making the correct decision became crucial, we failed to do so. However, the initial fault lies with me for messing up after Turn 11; I believe I dropped four or five spots due to that error, which put us behind.
If you check three or four spots ahead, we are sitting at third or fourth place, which I believe was all that could have been achieved. That’s just how things stand.
He added:
I don't believe we gained much insight today compared to what we knew yesterday. The circumstances we faced today were so specific that it was quite challenging to derive any meaningful lessons from them.
Lando Norris, who won the race, and runner-up Max Verstappen entertained fans with an exhilarating duel during the final two laps, highlighting the incredible speed of their vehicles, likely setting a benchmark for the rest of the season. If Ferrari aims to surpass these drivers on the racetrack, they'll have some homework ahead of them. Leclerc commented:
There was certainly a noticeable difference between our pace and that of the McLarens and Max, so we will investigate further. However, without doubt, we faced challenges today. As for improvements, we were relatively close to the Mercedes ahead, but that’s about it.
So McLaren and Red Bull were significantly quicker, which means there's plenty of work ahead.
2025 Australian Grand Prix Outcomes
1. Lando Norris (McLaren)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3. George Russell (Mercedes)
4. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
5. Alex Albon (Williams)
6. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
7. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
8. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
9. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
10. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
11. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
12. Yuki Tsunoda (VCARB)
13. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
14. Oliver Bearman (Haas)
15. Liam Lawson (Red Bull) Did Not Finish
16. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) Did Not Finish
17. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) Did Not Finish
18. Carlos Sainz (Williams) Did Not Finish
19. Jack Doohan (Alpine) Did Not Finish
20. Isack Hadjar (VCARB) Did Not Finish
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