Charles Leclerc and Ferrari have to prove themselves all over again in Formula 1 - but now they have a chance

Charles Leclerc has already won two Grand Prix, but this could be the season he becomes a credible Formula 1 title challenger after years in the wilderness.

It is, of course, early. This is one qualifying session, and there is plenty more to come. As we saw last year, F1’s governing body is keen to see more competitive racing, and they do not appear afraid to let racing directors have their say in controversial circumstances. As well as that, the new regulations have seen extensive design overhauls for every car, but as the season progresses we should expect cars to converge on one or two consensus approaches, and the times between cars may narrow significantly.

But for now, it appears the legendary Italian side have used that sea change in the rules to get back in front. Perhaps they took their focus off the last couple of seasons to get ahead of the pack with this fresh approach. For now at least, it has worked.

Both Mercedes and Red Bull have been effusive when it comes to Ferrari's chances. Drivers and team principals have acknowledged that they consider them strong challengers for the coming season, and this first pole position - Leclerc’s 10th so far - is an indication they could be correct.

It is worth noting just how much Ferrari have suffered. While their brand name has stayed to the fore in part due to their legacy built on Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher and others, their achievements on the track have been distinctly lacking. Their last Grand Prix win came in 2019, when Sebastian Vettel won in Singapore; that same year, Leclerc grabbed his only two victories, at Monza in Italy and Spa in Belgium.

Three years have passed since they last tasted success, though Leclerc has shown more than flashes of talent since, and as well as those two wins and 10 poles, he has 13 podium finishes over 80 starts since he joined in 2019. In a struggling car, that is no mean feat. But there is only so long he can tolerate the hardship before another team might want to give him a chance. At 24, he has a decade or perhaps more left in the sport, and it must appeal to other top teams to poach him - his contract is up in just two years.

For a team with 15 drivers’ championships - a record - and 16 constructors’ championships’ - another record - success must still feel very far away. Indeed, their last success came way back in 2007, when Kimi Raikkonen delivered them a single championship. It is hard to consider decline when you are at your peak, but it seems that failure can creep up on teams with little warning. Just look at Mercedes. A fundamentally new car design has left them trailing, with Lewis Hamilton more concerned with defending fifth - fifth! - than attacking his usual peers.

While the German team have found it difficult to deal with porpoising and new tire sizes, and with most of the pack still working out how best to approach the usefulness of various sidepods, Ferrari appear to have put the hours in for this season and are now ahead. While it is to be expected that this advantage will narrow over the course of the race calendar as idea theft and refinement arbitrages away any initial boost, winning as many points as you can early is no bad thing.

But first, the race. Bahrain gives Leclerc the chance to win his third race, but it won’t be easy. Carlos Sainz Jr. is in third, and claims he is still finding it hard to adjust to his car. That’s promising for the longer-term, but whether he can offer much defence or distraction with that mindset behind Max Vertsappen is potentially a problem.

Ferrari have a chance, it is up to their team to have the aptitude not just to take it, but to build upon it.