Charles Leclerc claims Ferrari has ‘learned a few things’ to give them the upper hand on Mercedes for the remainder of 2023

Ferrari has had a pretty up and down 2023 F1 season.

Charles Leclerc claims Ferrari has ‘learned a few things’ to give them the upper hand on Mercedes for the remainder of 2023

Charles Leclerc (Via IMAGO)

Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari F1 team managed a decent P4 and P6 finish at the Japanese Grand Prix. They were able to finish ahead of Mercedes courtesy of Leclerc and with the Qatar Grand Prix just around the corner, the Monegasque driver has claimed that his team has learned quite a few important things from the Japan weekend that he feels, will give Ferrari an edge over Lewis Hamilton and Co. for the rest of the 2023 F1 season.

The Maranello-based team and Mercedes have been at each other’s throats throughout the ongoing season and the battle between them for second place in the Constructors Championship is extremely fierce. They have played a cat-and-mouse game so far but with only six races remaining, Charles Leclerc ardently believes that his team will be able to keep Mercedes in check.

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While shedding light on the same in detail, Leclerc recently told Sky Sports, “Mercedes are strong, especially in the races. In Japan, they put us under a bit of pressure at the end by splitting the cars. In qualifying, it’s a bit more inconsistent, so it’s going to be a very close fight. We are a bit more inconsistent in the race, they are a bit more inconsistent in qualifying.”

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“But, I have a feeling inside me that we have learned a few things in the last weekend that will hopefully give us the upper hand for the rest of the season.” Looking at the comments of the 25-year-old, it seems, Ferrari has identified something crucial during the Japan weekend that they believe can give them an advantage over the Toto Wolff-led team.

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Charles Leclerc and Co. are currently 20 points behind Mercedes

While Charles Leclerc has admitted that Ferrari is hoping to have an advantage over Mercedes from Qatar GP onward, they are currently 20 points behind them in the 2023 Constructors Championship. The gap is not huge and with one great weekend, Leclerc and Carlos Sainz can make up the current difference and snatch second place away from them.

Ferrari
Ferrari (Credits: Sky Sports)

However, it is not going to be an easy thing to do as the Brackley-based team has conjured up its own plans for the remainder of the season and it is believed that they will have lined up a few upgrades for the upcoming races. Lewis Hamilton has been in exceptional form for the German team and has so far managed five podium finishes.

Red Bull has disappeared into the distance in the Championship battle and second place is the best that Ferrari and Mercedes can strive for. The Lusail International Circuit is a free-flowing track that supports high-speed racing and considering this fact, several eyes will be on the performance output of the SF-23 and Mercedes’s W14.

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