Charles Leclerc has positively ‘surprised’ Ferrari but it raises a bigger concern in Maranello

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Charles Leclerc ‘surprised’ Ferrari with one aspect from his race at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix en route to securing the Scuderia’s first podium finish in the 2025 season.

The pride of Italy have not had the start to the term they wanted after coming second in the F1 constructors’ championship to McLaren by only 14 points last season. Ferrari already find themselves 110 points behind their rivals from Woking atop the table after only five rounds.

A third-place finish by Leclerc in the Saudi Arabian GP last Sunday even yielded 15 of the 27-year-old’s 47 points so far this year. Teammate Lewis Hamilton only came seventh in Jeddah to claim six of the 40-year-old’s 31 points yet as a Ferrari driver after joining from Mercedes.

Leclerc was faster than Hamilton all weekend in Jeddah, having been Ferrari’s lead driver in every session bar Q1 after advancing to Q2 without needing a second run like the Briton. He also finished the race 30.969 seconds ahead to get Ferrari’s first Grand Prix podium of 2025.

Charles Leclerc ‘surprised’ Ferrari with his Saudi Arabian GP podium pace in clear air

What proved crucial in Leclerc finishing the Saudi Arabian GP on the podium, and just 8.104s behind race-winner Oscar Piastri of Mclaren, was the Ferrari racer extending his first stint on the medium C4 Pirelli tyres. He did not pit to fit a set of the C3 hard tyres until Lap 29 of 50.

Stopping later allowed Leclerc to inherit the on-track lead and run in clear air. Leclerc’s pace in this period even ‘surprised’ Ferrari having significantly dropped his lap times, according to Motorsport.com. He could also then push on the C3s to fend off Lando Norris’ charge for P3.

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Leclerc had elected to bide his time during the opening part of the race after failing to find a way to overtake Mercedes rival George Russell for P3 on the road. The Monegasque opted to sit back to manage his C4s, but was six-tenths of a second per lap off the leading pace.

And while Leclerc positively ‘surprised’ Ferrari with his speed in the nine laps between his pit stop and when Mercedes had brought Russell in, their joy is also tinged as the Saudi Arabian GP highlights a bigger concern that the Scuderia cannot maximise the SF-25’s full potential.

Running in free air was crucial for Leclerc’s P3 result, but was only available by sacrificing the first part of his race whilst stuck behind Russell. If Ferrari want to maximise the SF-25’s pace throughout a Grand Prix, they must improve in qualifying to start races at the front of a grid.

What has Charles Leclerc said about Ferrari’s pace in clear air at the Saudi Arabian GP?

Leclerc dropping his pace to stay a suitable distance behind Russell and avoid destroying his front tyres meant the Ferrari driver was 11.216 seconds behind Max Verstappen of Red Bull when the Dutchman made his sole pit stop from the lead of the Saudi Arabian GP on Lap 21.

Even Leclerc was then also ‘surprised’ with the pace he established in the Saudi Arabian GP once Russell pitted and the Ferrari driver could run in clear air. But the deficit he faced after qualifying 0.376s off Verstappen’s pole position lap in P4 was as decisive as his race pace.

“The car just felt good,” Leclerc told Motorsport Week. “And, to be honest, I was struggling a lot when I was behind George with the car balance, a lot of understeer, and I hate that.

“As soon as he pitted, the front came alive and the car felt a lot better. So, then I could manage the fronts a little bit better and the performance came much better once I was in free air… I think we were all surprised by our pace in free air on the first stint.”