Charles Leclerc enters the 2025 F1 season as one of many main contenders for the championship, decided to take the combat to Max Verstappen. The Monegasque driver got here near securing second place within the standings final yr however finally misplaced out to Lando Norris. Nonetheless, his robust type within the latter half of the season—the place he secured three victories and 13 podium finishes—made him the highest-scoring driver in that interval. With Ferrari making important strides in efficiency in 2024, Leclerc is optimistic about sustaining that momentum with the SF-25, which now encompasses a fully redesigned pull-rod entrance suspension.
Leclerc and his new teammate, Lewis Hamilton, took the SF-25 out for its first laps at Fiorano on Wednesday, only a day after Ferrari unveiled their newest livery on the F1 75 launch occasion. Curiously, Leclerc admitted that he hadn’t seen the design earlier than its official reveal.
With a recent outlook, the Monegasque driver is totally centered on mounting a title problem in 2025, believing {that a} shift in mentality has put him in a a lot stronger place.
Charles Leclerc Admits He As soon as Struggled to Settle for Ferrari’s Shortcomings, Now Embraces a New Mindset
Leclerc achieved his highest-ever factors tally in 2024, marking his second-best end within the championship after securing runner-up in 2022. Nonetheless, his 2023 marketing campaign proved much more irritating, as Pink Bull’s dominant RB19 received all however one race, leaving Ferrari to have a good time only a single victory courtesy of Carlos Sainz on the Marina Bay circuit in Singapore. Charles Leclerc, in the meantime, managed solely six podiums and completed fifth within the standings.
Reflecting on his previous mindset, Charles Leclerc admitted in an interview with Lawrence Barretto on F1’s official YouTube channel that he as soon as discovered it unimaginable to just accept when his automobile wasn’t aggressive. As a substitute of adjusting expectations, he would enter races clinging to the hope of a miracle efficiency.
Nonetheless, after shifting his strategy in 2024, Leclerc now feels much more content material together with his performances and is set to hold that mindset into 2025 as he pushes for his first world championship.
When requested if he believes he can problem for the championship this season with a aggressive automobile, Leclerc expressed confidence that he might. He acknowledged that his strategy had shifted following the 2023 season, throughout which he struggled to just accept that Ferrari wasn’t quick sufficient to win. At instances, he admitted, this led him to push for miracles on monitor—an strategy that didn’t at all times repay and infrequently value him helpful factors.
After reflecting on his efficiency, the Monegasque driver realized he wanted to regulate his mindset heading into 2024. He acknowledged the significance of capitalizing on accessible factors fairly than taking pointless dangers, and he felt that this transformation had been efficiently carried out all through the season. Wanting again, he believed there had been only a few, if any, missed alternatives, which left him extremely happy together with his total efficiency.
Charles Leclerc made it clear that he intends to take care of this strategy in 2025. The Monegasque added that if Ferrari gives him with a aggressive automobile from the opening spherical to the season finale, he’s assured they are going to have a real shot at preventing for the world championship—one thing he described as his final dream.
Ferrari’s first check of the SF-25 passed off at Fiorano on Wednesday, with Charles Leclerc taking the automobile out within the morning and Lewis Hamilton following within the afternoon. Throughout Charles Leclerc’s run, he encountered a “drawback” that brought on him to cease on monitor, however thankfully, it turned out to be a minor concern, because the session was merely a automobile shakedown and never a part of pre-season testing forward of subsequent week’s session in Bahrain.
By way of lap instances, Charles Leclerc was eight-tenths faster than Hamilton throughout their respective runs. Nonetheless, this time distinction ought to be considered with warning, as the 2 drivers might have been working completely different set-ups or utilizing completely different tire compounds. Charles Leclerc’s efficiency was notably robust, as he got here very near Michael Schumacher’s all-time Fiorano lap file, posting a greatest time of 56.06 seconds—a formidable feat for the Monegasque driver.
Though the check was not open to the general public, hundreds of Ferrari followers gathered on the circuit to witness the crew’s 2025 challenger in motion. Lewis Hamilton, appreciative of the fervent help, expressed his gratitude on social media, merely writing “Grazie Tifosi” to thank the passionate crowd for his or her dedication to the crew.
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