Ferrari have leapt ahead of the competition with their latest Formula 1 power unit, Sergio Perez believes, after the team took first and third on the grid for the season-opening race.
They were backed up by their customer teams Alfa Romeo and Haas, whose highest qualifiers took sixth and seventh on the grid respectively.
“We can clearly see that the Ferrari has a really strong engine,” said Perez. “Their customer teams really look strong out there.”
“They certainly have, I’d say, the fastest engine at the moment,” he added. “But things can swing around pretty quick.”
Pole-winner Charles Leclerc said their 066/7 engine was a clear improvement over last year’s power unit, which the team introduced an upgrade for as recently as last September in Sochi. “I haven’t seen the data yet but it definitely feels better than last year and it’s a step in the right direction,” said Leclerc.
“Obviously, Haas and the Alfa shows that we’ve made a step forward but it’s…