Leclerc: "We're doing well. Melbourne is our chance."

Ferrari is smiling at the end of its first day in Australia. Charles Leclerc was always solid and consistent and, after finishing 4th in the morning session, he came in ahead of the others in the afternoon, starting with Max Verstappen.

"For now, the sensations are good," was his statement, reported by Motorsport.com. "We had a positive start right from the first laps. But we have to continue to work hard, because I'm sure there will be surprises tomorrow. Our race simulation was encouraging, but we need to review some things." Besides his opponents, there are also many pitfalls in terms of climate and track. "Melbourne is a challenging track, with high curbs and only one clean trajectory. That's why, whenever you go a little off the line, you lose grip.The wind shouldn't be underestimated either," he analyzed.

However, the sensations for the weekend are good. "We're in better shape than in the first two GPs, but the Red Bulls haven't yet given it their best. I believe in their advantage, but we could have a big chance. Like I said, we did well on distance, but a lot was affected by the traffic."

As usual, Max Verstappen was confident in his own means and those of his RB20, downplaying the four tenths the driver from Monaco reached, and especially shrugging at the understeering, which led him to make a mistake at the end of Free Practice 1. "I went wide and damaged the chassis on a curb. It took a while to fix it, but the mechanics did a great job, and I more or less managed to complete the program. Too bad I couldn't get a few more laps in the long run. The Ducati at the top? It's fast, but we have room for improvement. There's nothing to worry about," he quickly stated.

He came in 3rd, despite a recent appendicitis that forced him to the Carlos Sainz hospital. "I'm still not one hundred percent fine physically, and I'm a little tired, but the day went well, overall. I got everything done, just trying to get into a rhthym, without testing the limit of the car. I'll try to be more incisive on Saturday. We're fast, and there's no excluding a fight for the pole position," he concluded in his interview with Sky.