Charles Leclerc: Ferrari “made some good steps forward” on set-up during testing

After putting in just under 200 laps around Bahrain International Circuit, Scuderia Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc feels that the team is in a solid position moving into the opening weekend of the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

Leclerc said that the factory’s predictions for how SF-23 would run were generally quite accurate, which was an encouraging sign for the Scuderia going into the weekend of testing.

“We have three very intensive days of testing behind us. The first day was all about running big scans and trying to understand how well our data matches what we predicted at the factory. What we learned is that there is quite a good correlation.”

Set-up was a priority for the team and was a significant point of progress according to Leclerc, who was able to run a variety of set-ups in order to figure out how he felt most comfortable and confident in the car. 

“We focused a lot on set-up work this week and made some good steps forward. I also tried out some different driving styles to test what suits me best in this new car.”

Heading into the Bahrain Grand Prix, Leclerc looks forward to seeing how all the teams compare when it comes time to compete. 

“We’ll be back next week for the opening race of the season and it will be interesting to see where all teams stand in relation to their closest competitors.”