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“I don’t think we have any advantage”– Charles Leclerc rubbishes Ferrari having engine advantage over Red Bull

Tanish Chachra
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"I don’t think we have any advantage"– Charles Leclerc rubbishes Ferrari having engine advantage over Red Bull

Charles Leclerc doesn’t think that Ferrari has an advantage over Red Bull through the power unit and sees both on common ground.

In 2022, Ferrari has managed to produce a car that is capable of vying for the championship. In the first two races of the season, they have managed to fetch four podiums, including a win in Bahrain.

Several members on the grid even claim that Ferrari has the strongest engine this season. Thus, having the edge over their rivals Red Bull, who are also aiming for the championship this year.

Reacting to these comments, Charles Leclerc rubbished any advantage people think Ferrari holds. He claims that his team is currently at a level with Red Bull and possesses no edge.

“Well, first of all, I can feel the difference from the car, the progress that’s been made from last year to this year and this is nice,” he said as per Motorsportweek.

“It’s the result of all the work of the guys back in Maranello and it’s also a reason why we are much more competitive this year so it’s great to see that.”

“On the other hand, I don’t think we have an advantage. I think we are very similar to where Red Bull is at the moment which they seem to be very strong, power unit-wise. We need to keep pushing but yeah, it is definitely a big step from last year,” he added.

Also read: Niki Lauda was called traitor by Enzo Ferrari

Ferrari boss mirrors comments of Charles Leclerc

Meanwhile, Mattia Binotto also agrees with Leclerc, who claims that the difference between all four manufacturers is marginal. Thus, Ferrari holds no advantage via its engine.

“At first, last year we got a disadvantage that we tried to catch up and I think if we look at the data we are certainly more in line [in 2022],” Binotto said.

“On the first two races and on the analysis we have done so far it seems that between Power Units of different manufacturers the difference is very little. We are really reaching a convergence.  While it was a disadvantage for us last year it’s not anymore,” Binotto added.
Ferrari last year reportedly made a huge leap in its engine development. The engine freeze allowed them to carry over the development in 2022. Thus, it seems that it actually turned out to be in their favour.

About the author

Tanish Chachra

Tanish Chachra

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Tanish Chachra is the Motorsport editor at The SportsRush. He saw his first race when F1 visited India in 2011, and since then, his romance with the sport has been seasonal until he took up this role in 2020. Reigniting F1's coverage on this site, Tanish has fallen in love with the sport all over again. He loves Kimi Raikkonen and sees a future world champion in Oscar Piastri. Away from us, he loves to snuggle inside his books.

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