Charles Leclerc reckons he and team-mate Carlos Sainz could tell Ferrari's 2024 Formula 1 car was capable of winning the Australian Grand Prix from as early as Friday's first practice.
Second-starting Sainz passed polesitter Max Verstappen around the outside on lap two before the Red Bull champion retired with a fiery rear-right brake failure. That enabled Leclerc to complete a Ferrari 1-2. While Verstappen’s car was ailing from the race start, which made the RB20 feel as though the “handbrake” was left on, the Ferrari duo believed they were already in contention for victory from FP1.
” Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24 Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Ferrari has earned criticism in recent seasons for poor pitstop execution and questionable strategy calls, but Leclerc added that the team had maximised all areas of race craft at the start of 2024. “However, if you look at the first three races, two out of the first three races they had the upper hand in the race. So, we still have a lot of work to do. But that's exactly what we need to do as a team.
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