Ferrari looked strong throughout practice at the Australian Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc topping the second session ahead of both McLaren drivers. This performance suggested that Ferrari had the potential to challenge for pole position.

However, when it mattered most in qualifying, the team was unable to maintain that pace. Leclerc could only manage seventh on the grid, with his new teammate Lewis Hamilton starting just behind him in eighth.

Leclerc was initially in contention in Q3, running less than a tenth behind Max Verstappen after his first flying lap. However, he was unable to improve on his final attempt, ending up more than six-tenths adrift of Lando Norris’ pole time. The Monegasque admitted that Ferrari lost pace relative to its rivals as qualifying progressed.

“As soon as we started to push the car more and more and more, we found more and more inconsistency, which was a bit of a shame,” Leclerc, quoted by Motorsport Week, explained.

“We lost a little bit of pace throughout qualifying. Q1 we were good, Q2 a little bit less good, and Q3 we had to push a lot to try and make the lap time. But we didn’t really follow the track for some reason, so we’ve got to look into it and maximise tomorrow.”

One of Ferrari’s key strengths in practice had been its performance through the final sector, where the team appeared to have an advantage over its rivals. However, this trend did not carry over into qualifying, and Leclerc pointed to tyre overheating as a potential factor.

“I think tyres are also where, in the last sector, you have the most overheating,” he noted.

“And I was struggling with it today a lot more than I did yesterday. So this is something that we’ll look into.”

Ferrari will also investigate whether overnight set-up changes had a negative impact on the car’s balance. “I think we’ve lost relative competitiveness compared to yesterday, which we know what we’ve changed, so we’ll have to look into it for sure,” Leclerc admitted.

However, he dismissed suggestions that the SF-25 has a narrower operating window than its predecessor. “I wouldn’t conclude that yet,” he said. “But in Q3, again, as a matter of fact, it was very difficult. Today in Q3 was particularly difficult. Before that, I had no signs of this. We’ve got to wait and see.”

Despite Ferrari’s struggles in qualifying, Leclerc remains optimistic about the car’s potential. He believes that the gap to McLaren over a single lap does not fully reflect the SF-25’s true pace.

“I hope we are fighting closer to McLaren,” he said.

“The feeling is that we are closer than the P1 now. Just in Q3, we lost our balance, we lost the window. When the gaps are so tight, it’s very difficult to put a lap together as a driver. I think the gaps today are bigger than what they should be.”

Looking ahead, Leclerc is focused on making the most of Sunday’s race and staying competitive in the long run. “But as I’ve said many times before coming here, it’s only the first race of the season, and it’s only a starting point,” he emphasised.

“It’s going to be a very long season. We’ve just got to stay calm, maximise points tomorrow, whatever that may be, and work from there. I think this car has a lot of potential, but for now, we don’t seem to be in the right window. So we’ve got to find it.”