Charles Leclerc topped second practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia but highlighted Red Bull and Mercedes as the most competitive teams rather than Ferrari. The Monegasque finished fourth in first practice before setting the fastest time in the afternoon session, with teammate Lewis Hamilton also running in the top six.
Leclerc insisted Ferrari were not the most competitive despite their strong Friday showing, pointing to mistakes by Red Bull's Isack Hadjar on his fastest lap and Max Verstappen not completing a qualifying simulation on soft tires. He believes Red Bull is standing out this weekend and expects them to be very strong once they put everything together.
The Ferrari driver also highlighted Mercedes as difficult to understand after they finished seventh and eighth in second practice despite bringing a significant upgrade package. He warned against underestimating the Silver Arrows, noting they rarely get developments wrong and have been the championship favorites since the season start.
Tire degradation emerged as the main talking point for Sunday's race, with Leclerc calling the wear levels "insane" over team radio during first practice. He emphasized the need for Ferrari to focus on race setup rather than qualifying performance, noting that small differences in corner approach can create huge degradation variations at the demanding Sepang circuit.