Charles Leclerc believes Ferrari is now better equipped to face title pressure as the team surges in championship standings.
Charles Leclerc has stated that Ferrari is now better positioned to handle the “external noise” stemming from title hopes for the team this year.
Leclerc’s double podium for Ferrari in the United States last weekend prompted him to declare that the team’s objective should be to win the Constructors’ Championship.
The Italian manufacturer’s fourth victory of the season has put them just eight points behind Red Bull in second place, while the gap to McLaren stands at 48 points.
Ferrari’s pace in Austin has heightened expectations in Italy this week, but Fred Vasseur, like Leclerc, remains unfazed by the pressure.
“Yes, I think I’ve learned to cope with it. And Fred is solid as a rock!” said Leclerc.
“I’ve always said that one of the best things about a team like Ferrari is the passion, and the people at the factory don’t count the extra hours they put into the team.”
“However, that same passion can sometimes be difficult to manage, because passion also means emotions, and that means during the good times, you’re overwhelmed with emotion.”
“But in the tough moments, you feel it much more—it’s a lot harder to handle.”
“Since 2019, I’ve been with the team, and we’ve worked a lot on this. I believe we’re much better prepared to deal with these highs and lows now.”
“I don’t think we’re as influenced by the external noise around the team as we might have been two, three, or four years ago.”
“So, as a result, I don’t think it has any influence, and in fact, we don’t really notice it within the team. We’re simply motivated and pleased with the current situation.”
“We’re in a good position and working in the right direction, but we’re not really paying attention to what’s being said outside.”
Leclerc’s third victory of the season also marks his fourth podium in five races since the summer break, during which no driver has scored more points than him (98).
Leclerc asserts that Ferrari’s consistency since the season resumed has been crucial to his renewed ambitions of targeting the title.
“We’ve been very consistent, and I think we’ve maximised our performances, which is the most important thing.”
“I don’t necessarily think we’ve been the fastest over the last few races. However, we’ve been the most consistent, and we’ve maximised the points compared to our competitors.”
“We had the best car in Austin, which is a good sign, as that’s what we need for the final five races.”
“It’s the best possible way to start this triple-header, but before that, I don’t think we had the strongest car.”
“But we’ve done the best job as a team to try and bring home the maximum points. So yes, that’s our goal this season, and I hope it will pay off.”
Leclerc also expects his Ferrari SF-24 to be competitive once again at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, though he admits there are no guarantees.
“Last weekend went extremely well for us. We were particularly strong in the race and in terms of race pace. In qualifying, we struggled a bit more.”
“However, on paper, Mexico should be quite a good track for us. That doesn’t mean we’ll replicate the performance we delivered in Austin.”
“We just need to focus on ourselves. I’ll be focusing on FP2, as Ollie Bearman will be in the car for FP1. I’ll try to maximise the result this weekend, and we’ll see where that takes us.”
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