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As Formula 1 enters its new era, the typical pre-season mind games are in full swing. Charles Leclerc has emerged as one of the most cautious voices in the paddock, suggesting that Mercedes is deliberately concealing a significant amount of performance. While Red Bull has shown its hand early, the Monegasque driver remains convinced that the Silver Arrows are sitting on a "silver bullet" for the opening round.
Mercedes' game of hide and seek
Following the initial shakedown in Barcelona, Mercedes was widely tipped as the early favorite for 2026. However, during the more recent tests in Bahrain, the team appeared to distance itself from that status. Team principal Toto Wolff even claimed that Red Bull is currently the benchmark and holds a clear advantage in terms of power unit performance.
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Charles Leclerc remains unconvinced by Wolff’s humble appraisal. Speaking to the official Formula 1 website, the Ferrari driver noted that while Red Bull has been impressive and more transparent with their speed, Mercedes is likely "hiding a massive amount". He pointed out that with the complexity of the new 2026 hybrid systems, there are now far more ways for a team to disguise its true potential than in previous years.
A cautious outlook for Ferrari
Despite Ferrari's strong showing—including Leclerc setting the fastest time on the second day of Bahrain testing—the team is refusing to get carried away. Leclerc emphasized that reliability has been a high point for the Scuderia, but performance remains the ultimate unknown. "Time will tell how much speed they have kept in reserve," he remarked, referring to his rivals at Brackley.
The current atmosphere in Bahrain is one of mutual suspicion among the top teams. While Mercedes points to Red Bull’s energy deployment, Leclerc and Verstappen both believe Mercedes will be the team to beat once the season officially kicks off in Melbourne. With three more days of testing remaining this week, the paddock is watching closely for any cracks in the Mercedes "sandbagging" strategy.
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