Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has conceded his team has work to do if it is to contend in the 2020 Formula 1 season.
Putting together a less-than-impressive showing in the preseason tests, it was widely speculated that the Scuderia was not in a position to challenge front-runners Mercedes prior to the aborted, season-opening Australian Grand Prix, and Leclerc has admitted that notion still holds.
“I still believe we have been struggling a bit during testing so we need to catch up,” he told reporters in a video chat from his home in Monaco.
“Whether we will be able to or not I don’t know, but last year we had a good progression throughout the year. I think we need to keep working as we did last year and I’m pretty sure the results will come.”
Despite his optimism, the Monegasque acknowledges that should his team struggle out of the gate, the jam-packed schedule planned for when the season eventually starts will make it much harder to gain ground.
“It’s going to be a difficult season for everyone because as soon as it starts it’s not going to stop and we won’t have any breaks to develop the car more than the others,” he said.
“So I think the work on track will be extremely important and more than it has been any other years because we will spend a lot of time on track whenever the season will restart.
“It’s going to be very important to be focused and ready from the first race onwards and us drivers need to be able to give the right feedback to the team and to try and help the team in the right direction straight away.”