Leclerc: « We have drawn the absolute maximum from all »

Charles Leclerc secured Ferrari’s first Sunday podium of the season by finishing third in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The Monegasque driver capitalized on an effective strategy and strong pace to beat McLaren’s Lando Norris.

A race controlled from the second row

Starting from fourth position on the grid, Leclerc managed to maintain his place in the first laps. After the accident between Tsunoda and Gasly, which brought out the safety car, he found himself just behind George Russell, a few seconds behind the leading duo Verstappen-Piastri.

The Monegasque driver managed his stint on medium tires perfectly, which allowed him to extend his first stop until the 30th lap. This choice temporarily allowed him to take the lead of the race ahead of Lando Norris.

« I never thought I would end up here and I thought this race was about defending against the cars behind, especially Kimi [Antonelli], so it was really good », commented Leclerc after the race.

A quick stop and a pressured end to the race

A defining moment for Leclerc was his ultra-quick pit stop in just 2.0 seconds. This performance allowed the Ferrari driver to rejoin in fifth position with fresh hard tires. This newfound advantage helped him catch up to and overtake George Russell on lap 38 to seize third place after Norris’s pit stop, who had not yet stopped: « I think we maximized absolutely everything », said the Monegasque driver.

In the final laps, Leclerc had to fend off the comeback of Lando Norris, who started tenth and closed to within just 1.3 seconds with two laps remaining. But Leclerc managed to maintain his gap to finish with a 1.1-second lead.

Faced with a faster McLaren on this circuit, this battle offers a glimpse into Ferrari’s progress. It also demonstrates Leclerc’s mastery, as he was able to leverage the strengths of his car, particularly on hard tires at the end of the race.

Optimistic words despite a lack of performance

Leclerc expressed satisfaction with his performance while acknowledging the current limitations of his car. He highlighted the difficulties faced in qualifying, believing he had extracted the maximum from the car both in a single lap and throughout the race. Proud of the work done by the team, he nevertheless noted that improvements would be necessary to hope to fight more regularly at the front.

At the media microphone, the Ferrari driver also emphasized the importance of his team throughout the weekend: “I am very happy with my race, I did my best, we need to improve in qualifying. The team was perfect, both the pit wall and the mechanics in the pits, they make impressive pit stops. We lack a bit of performance, but there are many reasons to be happy this weekend, it’s been a while since I felt this good in the car and figured out how to unlock so much performance.”

Expectations for the future

Regarding the next steps for Ferrari, Leclerc expressed his hope to see rapid improvements on the car: “We must keep pushing to the maximum and I hope updates will arrive soon to improve the car,” he said.

He also acknowledged that it would likely be difficult to close the gap with the leading teams before the Spanish Grand Prix. However, the Monegasque is counting on the upcoming arrival of new aerodynamic developments, hoping that these will allow Ferrari to take a step forward and better assess their level of competitiveness at that time.

This first podium of the 2025 season for Ferrari is encouraging, but the Italian team still seems to have a gap to close with Red Bull and McLaren. However, Leclerc’s optimism and his ability to get the best out of his car suggest promising results for the upcoming races, especially with the expected technical developments.