Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

Charles Leclerc REVEALS what will be a ‘game changer’ for Ferrari amidst heated battle with McLaren and Red Bull

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Manmayee Joshi | Last updated 4/30/24

Ferrari has been off to a better start this season and the team has scored podiums in four out of the five races so far. The star of Ferrari, Charles Leclerc believes that the upgrades are going to play a vital role in how the season turns out. The Maranello-based team had a rough time in Shanghai as they struggled to manage their hard compounds.

The Monegasque driver has claimed that between Shanghai and Miami, the team is working to figure out the leading cause of their tire struggles. However, unlike other teams who are planning on bringing the first part of updates in Miami, Ferrari will wait a little longer.

Updates play an important role in a team’s improvement on track and while talking about the same, Leclerc had the following to say.

I think that [upgrades] are going to be the game changer for the rest of the season - the upgrades are going to be super important to see how the season will develop after that. Charles Leclerc via: Racingnews365

The SF-24 has shown a solid pace this year as Ferrari has worked extremely hard on improving and developing the car in every aspect. They are currently in second place between Red Bull and McLaren, and the latter has been catching at the rate of knots. The papaya-colored team also has their first set of updates coming in Miami which could pose a threat to Leclerc and company.

Helmut Marko claims Carlos Sainz was always ahead of Charles Leclerc

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have been teammates ever since the Spaniard joined Ferrari in 2021, the two even share a special bond. But starting this season with the news of Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, the two drivers have entered an extremely competitive mode. However, according to the Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, the Spaniard has always been ahead of the Monegasque driver.

While talking about the same, he added the following.

Then comes Carlos Sainz, who was always ahead of Charles Leclerc at Ferrari except for China. Also in qualifying. That surprised me. Even in qualifying, Sainz drives very aggressively and won impressively in Australia. Helmut Marko via: speedweek.com

It is no surprise that Sainz has outshined his teammate this season. In recent times, he is the only non-Red Bull driver to claim a win once in Australia, and the other he scored during last year’s Singapore GP.

With his sheer talent and potential, the 29-year-old has managed to catch the eyes of Red Bull. Everything is working well in Sainz’s favor, however, it might pose a problem to his teammate Leclerc who is staying with the Maranello-based squad for the upcoming years.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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