Formule-1 : Leclerc Admits Mercedes' Race Pace Could Dominate Australian GP

Charles Leclerc highlights Mercedes' impressive race pace at the Australian Grand Prix. While McLaren's Oscar Piastri topped Friday practice with a 1m19.729s lap, Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli closely followed, only two tenths behind. Leclerc notes that Mercedes' strength lies in their long-run performance. “They are clearly very strong, especially in terms of race pace,” Leclerc states. He finishes P5, over half a second behind Piastri, and admits that Mercedes may be developing a formidable race package. Leclerc's own performance faces challenges, with a bold setup experiment during FP2 not yielding results. His teammate, Lewis Hamilton, finishes fourth, indicating work remains for Ferrari. “We've got plenty of things to improve on our car,” Leclerc insists. The competitive landscape remains unclear as teams experiment with setups early in the weekend.