For the past two races, Ferrari seems to have made a step forward, as demonstrated by Charles Leclerc’s first podium of the season in Saudi Arabia.
Formula 1 is currently on a break following three consecutive race weekends. It’s a crucial pause for Ferrari, who are using this time to better compare data and move toward a unified direction, particularly in light of Leclerc’s performances in the last two rounds. This week, Antonio Giovinazzi will take part in a private test at Mugello, driving the SF-23 to evaluate updates that are expected to debut in Imola.
Leclerc and Hamilton, who initially appeared to be pursuing different setup paths, now seem to be converging toward very similar solutions, as confirmed by Leclerc himself:“There’s more convergence now in our setup, especially after the last weekend. Recently, we’ve been aligning more. We’re not going in different directions — actually, we’re pushing in the same one, and that’s a good thing for the future, knowing we both need the same things. “.
This represents an extreme choice for both Leclerc and Hamilton. Leclerc’s setup decisions are currently proving effective, while the seven-time world champion is still struggling to find the right balance. The Monegasque driver added in his analysis: “The direction we’ve taken is new and extreme even for me. It’s not something I’ve experienced with the car before — it’s new. Sure, I know the car better than he does, but it’s still an extreme direction and new to me as well “.
Leclerc seems to have found the right path, as his podium in Saudi Arabia shows, while Hamilton — visibly discouraged after the Jeddah race — will need to regroup and find his footing in order to close the performance gap to his teammate. The upcoming updates will be crucial to avoid losing more ground to McLaren, and to keep Ferrari’s championship hopes alive beyond spring.
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari Gallery