Charles Leclerc and Ferrari will be leaving Melbourne with more questions than answers after a chaotic 2025 Australian Grand Prix, where the team failed to capitalise on opportunities in changing weather conditions and made costly mistakes at Albert Park.
The Italian squad, once tipped as a title contender, made strategy missteps and driver errors that left them battling for minor points — much to the frustration of their fans and their driver.
Leclerc, who finished a disappointing eighth, did not shy away from taking personal responsibility for the lacklustre result, admitting that his own mistake out of Turn 11 cost him valuable positions.
Speaking to the media, including Total-Motorsport.com, Leclerc said: “It was definitely a missed opportunity. Especially in those conditions when it’s changing and that you don’t have the pace, it’s there that you got to score the points and we didn’t today.”
“The first one to blame is my mistake out of Turn 11 because this I lost four or five positions, I think, and from that mistake, then it puts us on the back foot,” Leclerc continued.
“And if you look three or four positions in front, then we are third or fourth, which I think was what could be done. But it’s the way it is.”
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Catch up with Total Motorsport's latest Singapore GP coverage, including Max Verstappen's victory at Marina Bay, Ferrari's costly strategy gamble, the full race classification, and the updated 2026 Formula 1 Drivers' and Constructors' Championship standings.
Strategy Failures and Slippery Conditions Leave Ferrari in Trouble
What makes this result sting even more is Ferrari’s gamble to stay out on slicks while others switched to intermediates as the rain returned. The decision proved costly, sending both Leclerc and teammate Lewis Hamilton down the order as they struggled for grip while rivals made up ground.
“We just… we were not fast enough at the beginning of the race when the race was kind of boring, and then once it mattered to make the right choice, we didn’t,” Leclerc explained, clearly frustrated with both his own error and the Ferrari team’s mistakes.
Leclerc admitted that Ferrari learned little from the race due to the unpredictable conditions: “About today I don’t think we’ve learned more than what we knew yesterday. I mean today, it’s such particular conditions that it’s very difficult to take anything out of.”
Lando Norris soared to a stunning victory in Australia for McLaren, while Max Verstappen took second for Red Bull and George Russell claimed a podium for Mercedes. The top three ran away from Ferrari and Mercedes, highlighting the performance gap that neither team can ignore.
“We were definitely very off in terms of pace compared to the McLarens and Max, so we’ll look into it, but yes, for sure we were struggling today,” Leclerc added.
“We were pretty similar to the Mercedes in front, but that was it. Then McLaren and Red Bull were so much faster, so there’s a lot of work to be done.”
