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Ferrari's Charles Leclerc feels most F1 teams are keeping their cards close to their chests with regard to the true potential of the new 2022 cars. The 24-year-old was the fastest Prancing Horse around Circuit de Catalunya, posting a time of 1:20.165 on the clock.
Once out of the new F1-75, the Monegasque felt the Scuderia should refrain from getting "carried away" as most teams were "still hiding their true form". During the post-session media interaction, Leclerc said:
“It was the first time that we could really push in our new car and it felt really good to be back behind the wheel. We completed all the tests we wanted to and ran through our full program smoothly, which is good for a new car. I’m looking forward to being back on track again tomorrow. The initial feeling is not bad, but we shouldn’t get carried away by the timesheets today, as these are early days and everyone is still hiding their true form. It’s impossible to have a clear picture just yet, so we have to stay focused and keep working hard. We put in a lot of laps, more than any other team today, and that’s a positive we will build on.”
Leclerc put in 80 laps with a total of 374 kilometers, while his teammate Carlos Sainz was given 73 laps, the equivalent of 341 kilometers. The Spaniard feels the team still has work to do but was optimistic on the whole after a positive first day of testing.
Ferrari drivers are "free to fight" in 2022 F1 season, confirms Charles Leclerc
Ferrari drivers will not be bridled by team orders in the 2022 F1 season and are "free to fight" each other on track, according to Charles Leclerc.
During the launch of the F1-75, the two-time race winner said:
“Of course we’ve discussed it, I think it was yesterday or two days ago. Yes, we are free to fight, obviously without taking any stupid risks because we are fighting for the team, and the ultimate goal is to bring Ferrari to the top. But we’ll be free to fight.”
This comes as a relief for fans of the Scuderia, who have seen many good positions squandered by needless squabbling between drivers in seasons past.
Both Leclerc and his teammate Sainz are aware that none of their battles can come at the cost of the team's overall success.
