Ferrari Secures Austin Triumph Leclerc Shines Early

Leclerc: Ferrari “couldn’t have dreamed of better” than the Austin one-two

21/10/2024

Charles Leclerc celebrates Ferrari’s perfect one-two in Austin, crediting a flawless start as the key to victory.

Charles Leclerc comfortably won the United States Grand Prix. Capitalizing on Max Verstappen’s opening move, which sent Lando Norris off track to overtake him, the Ferrari driver took the lead and only relinquished it during pit stops, securing his third victory of the season.

“I’m very happy; the weekend hadn’t been good up to that point. I wasn’t feeling great with the car, but I was confident the feeling would improve during the race, and that’s exactly what happened,” the Monegasque said.

“After the Sprint, we feared the others might make progress, but we still had the edge in terms of pace. I’m really happy with today’s result— a one-two for the team, we couldn’t have dreamed of better.”

Leclerc was pleased to have taken the lead at the start: “It was a great first corner! That’s exactly what I aimed for. I got a good start, and I knew it would be tight in the first turn. Yesterday, I was the victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but today I came out on top.”

“We had tremendous pace, but in the second stint, we managed it well. We did a great job, and the race pace was excellent, thanks to the engineers who worked tirelessly to bring upgrades that paid off. The team functioned well, the pit stops were solid, everyone did an amazing job, so I’m happy.”

Ferrari is now just eight points behind Red Bull and 48 behind McLaren, reigniting the team’s title hopes: “I’m very happy, and we’re still aiming for the title. The road is long, but it’s a good start to this triple-header.”

Carlos Sainz was pleased with his second place, though he acknowledged he could have fought for victory if his start had been more favorable: “Congrats to the team and Charles for an incredible result that puts us where we wanted to be in the constructors’ championship.”

“I’m very happy for everyone at Ferrari. I knew the race would be decided at the start, and I knew Max and Lando would be battling, but I ended up losing out. The pace was very fast, it was strong all weekend, and I fought for second place, which made it a good race.”

The Spaniard is pleased that tire wear and degradation have become an advantage for Ferrari, rather than an issue like last year: “It’s one of the strengths of the car this year, the length of the stints we can manage.”

“It’s something I enjoy, and I’m enjoying racing much more this year compared to last, when we had to fight and lose positions. This year, we can push without worrying too much about the tires, and overtaking is fun.”

Ferrari Secures Austin Triumph: Leclerc Shines Early Ferrari Secures Austin Triumph: Leclerc Shines Early

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