McLaren's remarkable performance surge, making them the fastest team for a period last year, has undoubtedly drawn significant attention across the F1 paddock. Red Bull Racing, under Christian Horner, has openly acknowledged their close monitoring of McLaren's technological advancements, particularly their tire management.
Why it matters
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc sheds light on how much the Scuderia focuses on its rivals. While a certain level of awareness of competitors is natural in F1, Leclerc emphasizes that Ferrari's core strategy remains self-reliance and innovation rather than merely following others.
The Details
During the Zandvoort media day, Leclerc discussed Ferrari's approach to competitive intelligence:
- Paddock Network: "The paddock is a very small world. Every year, some mechanics and engineers move from one team to another, so you kind of hear things and that gives you a direction." This organic flow of information provides initial hints.
- Media's Role: Leclerc humorously noted, "Also, you guys [the media] are a big part of trying to find things out for us, and that gives us hints." The media inadvertently helps teams gather information.
Ferrari's Approach
Leclerc was clear about Ferrari's primary objective:
- Leading Development: "Our main job is to try and anticipate and to be on top of those things and to be the first to lead development in something that hasn’t been done before. Because if you just follow, then you end up being second best."
- Targeted Observation: While not expending immense energy constantly, Leclerc admitted that a significant leap by a competitor, like McLaren's at the end of a technical era, warrants close examination. "When you have... a team that makes such a step – like McLaren did – then obviously all teams are trying to understand what’s going on."
The Big Picture
Ultimately, Ferrari's focus remains internal. "It’s in the back of our minds, but what we are focusing on is trying to be leading in that development and trying to find ourselves the solutions that nobody has found yet," Leclerc concluded, reinforcing the team's commitment to pioneering its own path to success.