Leclerc discusses his 'marriage' with Ferrari and cautions that Mercedes appears to be in good shape.

      "They worked diligently to delay this directive."

      Charles Leclerc has candidly discussed the possibility of extending his Ferrari contract, but on the track, he cautioned that Mercedes appears to be much stronger than expected in Melbourne. Speaking to Sky Italia before qualifying, the Monegasque racer likened it to his recent marriage to Alexandra Saint Mleux. "A lifelong commitment to the red car? I don’t believe a permanent contract has ever been finalized, but the dialogue is open."

      When it comes to the on-track situation, Leclerc was less sentimental. "Unfortunately, we seem to be at a disadvantage, especially when compared to Mercedes, which seems very, very strong," he noted. "I don’t think they revealed everything with low fuel levels, but their performance with high fuel was quite impressive. It’s likely the first time we've seen how extensive their performance range is, and it’s a bit more than I would have preferred."

      However, he still regards Ferrari as a real contender. "In qualifying, I have a feeling it can be very close. During the race, it appears that Mercedes still has significant potential. My sense is that we’re in second or third place alongside Red Bull, with McLaren closely trailing and Mercedes in front."

      Mercedes’ early edge is partly due to a loophole in the new power unit regulations regarding compression ratios. The rules only necessitate checks at ambient temperatures until June 1, allowing Mercedes to take advantage of thermal expansion at operating temperatures—a tactic that rivals Ferrari, Honda, and Audi have pushed the FIA to close.

      The hot-condition test will now be implemented from June 1, six races into the season. "They fought hard to delay this directive for as long as possible," one competitor informed Auto Motor und Sport. "You only do that if you want to maintain your advantage for as long as you can. They will still have an edge, but not by as much."

      Former F1 driver Nick Heidfeld expressed regret about the closure of the loophole. "If a team is clever and gains an advantage, they should be allowed to utilize it," he told Sport1. "From what I’ve heard, Mercedes even cleared this with the FIA. If that’s true, it’s a tough pill to swallow when the advantage is later taken away."

      Ferrari does have genuine confidence in their race start. The team designed their entire power unit setup with the removal of the MGU-H in mind, granting them better turbo spool-up times off the line. Race director Rui Marquez has implemented a new 5-second pre-start warning procedure for Melbourne—grid panels will flash blue for five seconds before the usual light sequence starts, giving drivers time to build revs and address turbo lag issues.

      The straight mode has also been banned until after Turn 1 due to safety concerns about closing speeds into the first corner. Leclerc believes Ferrari’s starting advantage could be crucial, especially considering the challenges associated with overtaking in the new cars. "At the start, we're definitely stronger than the others, but I think as the races progress, our competitors will also find their pace. The start remains a pivotal moment of the race—perhaps the most vital given the difficulties that arose during testing with overtaking—and in this regard, we have an advantage."