Pole-man Charles Leclerc points to the performance of customer teams Alfa Romeo and Haas as proof of huge step forward for Ferrari.

With four - count 'em - four Ferrari powered cars in the top seven of today's grid, the Maranello outfit has clearly taken a huge step forward.

While the team appears to have overcome the porpoising issue that is affecting its rivals, it is the power unit that has helped it not just move closer to Mercedes and Red Bull but put it right in the mix.

Throughout 2021, while rivals worked on their 2022 cars, Ferrari concentrated on an all new engine and it appears to have paid off, for, with no disrespect to either Valtteri Bottas or Kevin Magnussen, how else could Alfa Romeo and Haas be filing sixth and seventh positions on today's grid.

"I haven't seen the data yet, but it definitely felt better than last year," said Charles Leclerc after putting his F1-75 on pole, ahead of Max Verstappen's Red Bull, "it's a step in the right direction.

"I think that obviously one Haas and the Alfa shows that we've made a step forwards," he added.

"But it's not to underestimate the work that they've done," he continued, "because they were also very quick in corners. I think it's a combination of both, the car and the engine.

"But speaking of ourselves, it's definitely a step forward and we look quite strong on the straights now. So, it's good to see this."

"A big thank you and a great job to everyone in the power unit department," added teammate Carlos Sainz. "Because for sure it's also helping the other teams.

"We need to keep pushing because it's not like Max was slow in the straights at all, or the Merc," he added. "So, we need to keep pushing on that front. But at least this year it looks like we've done a step in the right direction and it's good to see from the engine department."

Ferrari engine boss, Enrico Gualtieri described the 2022 power unit as "an unconventional project, extreme in terms of vehicle installation, layout and many of the internal parts".

Other than minimal development there is an engine freeze until the end of 2025, with the internal combustion engine (ICE), Turbocharger, MGU-H and Engine Exhaust System having been permanently homologated on March 1, while the MGU-K, Energy Store and Control Electronics are homologated on September 1.

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