Ferrari Unafraid of 1 Sec Gap to McLaren as Charles Leclerc Puts Up Brave Fight Against Lando Norris

Pre-season testing results don’t always reflect the true pecking order of the F1 grid. However, they give the paddock an idea of what to expect and this season, most predictions look to be falling in McLaren’s favor.

Winners of the Constructors’ Championship last year (for the first time since 1998), McLaren have a lot to be excited about. They were arguably the fastest team over the course of three days of testing in Bahrain, and the mood was optimistic. The same, however, cannot be said about Ferrari.

Expected to be McLaren’s main challenger, Ferrari’s SF-25 appears to be around three-tenths of a second to one second slower than the MCL-39. “We expect them to be one of the quickest if not the quickest,” Ferrari’s new driver Lewis Hamilton admitted. “We’ve definitely got some work to do to improve.”

That said, Ferrari aren’t admitting inferiority to McLaren yet.

After comparing the data of Charles Leclerc‘s run to that of Lando Norris, the Maranello-based squad was not particularly ‘nervous’, AMuS reported. They did acknowledge that McLaren were better, but took into account that they were carrying extra weight around the Bahrain International Circuit.

‘Ferrari believes that the moderate asphalt temperatures met McLaren and the red car was carrying more weight around. Ferrari left all measuring instruments on board until the last day of testing,’ the report read.

| ‘Ferrari also sees McLaren at the top, but the comparison of the racing simulations between Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc does not make it nervous. Depending on the tire mix, it ranged from three tenths to one second in favor of McLaren.’

‘Ferrari believes that the… pic.twitter.com/5Y0XFG2pcO

— sim (@simsgazette) March 1, 2025

In pre-season, all teams follow different programs. Ferrari, with a heavier fuel load, were noting something different than McLaren, which makes it difficult for lap times to be comparable.

Ferrari banking on track temperature

In Bahrain, the track and its temperature, in particular, suited McLaren much better than Ferrari. In addition to the Italian team’s added weight, the tires worked better for McLaren, according to the same report.

In Melbourne, however, they feel that the conditions will suit the SF-25 more, which will present them with a fighting chance for the win.

It won’t be unfamiliar territory for the Scuderia either since they finished 1-2 in Albert Park just under 12 months ago. On that day, it was Carlos Sainz who took the victory for Ferrari, with Leclerc finishing second, a little over two seconds behind.

CARLOS SAINZ WINS IN AUSTRALIA!

The Smooth Operator seals a sensational win Down Under just two weeks after emergency surgery #F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/97Rt3AtbCL

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 24, 2024

Everything went in their favor that day, including a DNF for reigning champ Max Verstappen who at that point of the season was still driving the fastest car.

This year, however, it likely won’t be as easy for Ferrari to eke out a win. The field seems to be extremely competitive, and even if the track temperatures bring them closer to McLaren and also Mercedes, another team that had a good pre-season.