Lessons from F1 season so far: Ferrari are a class apart and Albon shines

Charles Leclerc’s dominant win in Melbourne was a consummate display but his Ferrari was truly the class of the field. It is well balanced, versatile, quick through the corners, easy on the tyres and the engine is a powerful beast. Having written off last year and thrown everything into developing this season’s model there must be no little sense of satisfaction at Maranello. The task for Ferrari now is not to throw it away. The challenge for the engineers this season is going to be a fierce development war, as with the new regulations there will be gains to be found all season, and the team that finds them quickest will have the whip hand. Ferrari have been here before in 2017 and 2018 when their car opened as the quickest on the grid but was outpaced by Mercedes’ advances as the season went on, a setback compounded by team and driver errors. If they are to take the title the team have to be firing at maximum capacity on every level in a pressure-cooker environment, a fascinating prospect.

Leclerc was almost flawless at the front of the field, sealing a grand slam at Albert Park. He is a joy to watch, the 24-year-old enjoys such a light pleasure in driving to the extent of being able to joke with his team over the radio, it is infectious. There is also a natural ease to his skill that has always been present but only now is being given full reign. His win in Bahrain showed both skill and mettle as he faced down Max Verstappen, as did his second place in Saudi Arabia. In Australia what was clear was how controlled he can be when the car is on form. Errors in recent years have done him a disservice, often being caused because he was forced to push so hard with underperforming and poorly handling machinery. This time he