Bringing a brand new automobile to its debut at all times feels particular. For Charles Leclerc, it’s nothing new, as he has already had the prospect to take the primary laps in a brand new automobile throughout his years at Maranello, however this 12 months it feels barely completely different.
The need to win stays unchanged, similar to in earlier years, as does the Monegasque driver’s drive to battle for the specified outcomes. Nonetheless, this 12 months there may be nice enthusiasm across the Scuderia, not solely as a result of arrival of a champion like Lewis Hamilton but additionally due to the work achieved by the engineers, with an optimism that additionally reveals in Ferrari’s phrases.
Frederic Vasseur defined that to succeed in the declared aim, the world title, a revolution of the SF-24 was not vital, however fairly a reasoned evolution, particularly contemplating the end result of the previous season, the place the Scuderia completed with a aggressive automobile and achieved some satisfactions.
It’s from that base that the engineers began, with a part of the ground being an evolution of the experimental one examined on the finish of the earlier 12 months. Ferrari needs to deliver all the weather collectively to seize a title that eluded them in 2024.
Charles Leclerc is very dreaming of it, believing that this 12 months the entire Ferrari staff has achieved an unimaginable job to be prepared not just for the primary check subsequent week in Sakhir but additionally to deliver a aggressive automobile to the monitor.
“My need to turn out to be world champion has at all times been the identical. I like what I do, I like Ferrari, and I need to win with Ferrari. Profitable the title in pink could be one thing unimaginable. I’m doing all the things I can to attempt to make it occur as shortly as potential, and I hope that is the precise 12 months,” stated the Monegasque to Sky Italia microphones after the primary filming day.
“We’ve labored very well, not simply me coaching however the entire staff. They’ve labored to make sure we arrive on the first exams as ready as potential. We’ve achieved many days within the simulator, many laps, and it was constructive to organize for this primary day and the exams.”
Clearly, the ultimate phrase will come solely from the monitor, with the stopwatch being the one actual instrument to search out the solutions sought. Nonetheless, the premises are very constructive, particularly since this winter may be very completely different from the final one. If twelve months in the past Ferrari was coming off the dominance of Pink Bull and had fully modified its aerodynamic idea, this 12 months the SF-25 is an evolution of its predecessor, hoping to have made a step ahead in the important thing areas.
After a robust end to final season, with a grid that usually proved very shut and open to surprises, the aim is to intention excessive. For that reason, Charles Leclerc didn’t cover that if, on the finish of the 12 months, neither of the 2 world titles was received, the season might be a disappointment. The aim, nevertheless, is to make sure that this doesn’t occur and that the 12 months will be closed with a smile, writing a web page of Ferrari historical past.
“Final 12 months we completed second within the constructors’ and I used to be very disenchanted. So, the aim now’s to win. That’s at all times the precise aim for Ferrari, so whenever you’re in pink, it’s important to intention to win. I will surely be disenchanted if we didn’t win each titles, however we’ll do all the things we will to win,” Charles Leclerc stated.
Charles Leclerc was additionally the driving force who opened the debut with the SF-25, bringing the brand new automobile to its first outing after coming back from the London presentation at 4:30 within the morning, solely to be again on monitor at Fiorano for the primary assembly with the engineers at 7:30.
Clearly, it’s too early to attract conclusions, because the filming day is extra of an preliminary contact with the automobile, though each drivers had the chance to push and begin to really feel the automobile.
The primary impressions, nevertheless, are constructive, and above all, the staff didn’t encounter any detrimental surprises within the first 200 kilometers of testing: “I’d at all times prefer to really feel extra, particularly on such an essential first day, with a lot enthusiasm, as a result of it’s the primary time we drive this automobile,” Charles Leclerc stated.
“As for the sensations, the constructive side is that there have been no detrimental surprises, which is what we search for within the first laps. We didn’t encounter any surprising emotions or numbers, that wasn’t the case right this moment, and that’s the excellent news. Going past may be very tough for now, however the feeling was good, and the ambiance was unimaginable.” – the Monegasque driver concluded.
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