Motorsports
Formula 1, Leclerc: “We were surprised by our speed”
Charles Leclerc said his second pole position in three games this year – and even with a difference of 3 tenths to Ferstappen – was somewhat unexpected and claimed he expects Red Bull to be quicker at tomorrow’s Australian GP.
Ferrari’s Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc set the fastest lap in the effort of both pioneers in the third round of qualifying tests before and after Fernando Alonso’s accident. It was something he said he wasn’t expecting after yesterday’s “confused” Scuderia free tests at the Melbourne circuit.
Following Scuderia’s first position in Melbourne since 2007 and Kimi Raikkonen, Leclerc said: “It feels good [της πολ ποζίσιον], especially as I’ve always struggled as a driver at this track in the past. I don’t know, it probably doesn’t suit me at all.
“We worked very hard these three days. It was a bit confusing for me in the three free trials. I did some rounds but never managed to compose a good one. “So I feel great.” Added Monegasque.
“The car feels good, but this red bull was very fast in the second tests, in the laps. So we were surprised by our speed in the ranking tests. “Anything is possible tomorrow, we just have to get off to a good start and maybe we can keep that first place.”
However, things did not go so well for his counterpart Carlos Saint. The Spaniard didn’t have time to complete his first lap in Q3 for a few meters due to the red flag for Alonso’s accident. And in the second attempt, a small driving error at the start left him in a poor 9th place.
Furthermore, Leclerc said he – like all drivers – had a serious vision problem at the end of today’s Melbourne qualifier due to the sunset. The problem arose due to the delay of about half an hour after the Latifi-Stroll and Alonso accidents.
“Honestly at Q2 I took big risks because I had no idea where the limits of the track were. We only speculated a bit, and given the rhythm of the three days, you more or less know that you simply have to turn “here”. So I got a darker jelly, specifically in the first part Q3 some clouds appeared which was perfect. But on the second lap, braking for the first corner was very, very difficult. “Even the darkest jelly I had wasn’t enough as it would be very dark at other parts of the track where the sun was hiding from the clouds.”closed.
Source: sport 24
Sophia Jhon is a sports journalist and author. He has worked as a news editor for Sportish and is now a sport columnist for the same publication. Alberta’s professional interests lie largely in sports news, with an emphasis on English football. He has also written articles on other sporting topics.
Red Bull Formula 1 team president Laurent Mekies believes the Bulls will be behind their rivals at the start of the 2026 season, given the production of their engines and new aerodynamic rules.
“We know it will be difficult for us, especially at the beginning of the season. I think we will fall behind our rivals, but we need to hold on for a few more months.”
“I hope we come back to the top, but it would be naive to think that Red Bull will be ahead right away. We will be behind at the start,” said Mekis.
Bulls will produce its engines in collaboration with Ford from 2026.
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
After several significant personnel changes in the team, Max Verstappen has finally learned who he will be working with in the Red Bull pits for the new season.
At the end of last year, it became known that three key members of the four-time world champion’s headquarters had left. According to De Telegraaf, Jeff Ayton replaced Verstappen’s vehicle control engineer Michael Manning, who left the team after the 2025 season. He has previously worked with other Red Bull drivers and worked temporarily with Verstappen in Manning’s absence last year.
Verstappen’s former engine mechanic David Mart has moved to Audi and his replacement at Red Bull has not yet been determined. Performance engineer Tom Hart is also leaving the team; He will join Williams but will continue to work with the Milton Keynes-based team for a while.
Changes also occurred among mechanics. After Matt Culler moved to the position of Audi’s chief mechanic, Verstappen was replaced as his first mechanic by his twin brother John Culler. He is well known to Max, who has previously held a similar position on the other side of the Red Bull pits, working alongside Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda.
Despite rumors about the winter break, Gianpiero Lambiase will remain Verstappen’s race engineer for another season.
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
Photos of the allegedly leaked Ferrari F1 team jerseys for the 2026 season have appeared on the internet.
The published photos show a red T-shirt with white inserts.
Ferrari will officially announce its color on January 23. At the same time, some sources reported that the design of the 2026 car should be “pleasantly surprising”.
Given that Ferrari and other teams have used darker shades of their primary colors (red in the Scuderia’s case) in recent years, the introduction of red and white team uniforms could signal a move towards a lighter color scheme.
The same idea is put forward in a video published on the Scuderia’s official account.
2026 FERRARI PRODUCTS? 👀 pic.twitter.com/ClhblugnUh
— La Gazzetta Ferrari (@GazzettaFerrari) January 18, 2026
It’s just a matter of time⏱️ pic.twitter.com/SyykHCiHcw
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) January 18, 2026
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
-
Ligue 13 years agoRenato Sanchez signed in Paris for five years
-
Europa League4 years agoIn transfer alert at Olympiakos for additions and concessions
-
Europa League4 years agoFenerbahce – Eintracht 1: 1: The Germans took 1st place in the Olympiacos group
-
Europa League4 years agoWithout Nainggolan and Samata, the 11th team from Antwerp
-
Europa League4 years agoEuropa League
-
Europa League4 years agoAtalanta announced the acquisition of Boga
-
Europa League4 years agoFears that Zapata will be out for 4 months
-
Premier League4 years agoExcept for the rest of January, Sean was injured