Leclerc Admits Mercedes Superiority After Vegas GP

Ferrari secured a podium in Las Vegas, with Charles Leclerc conceding that Mercedes were the fastest on track throughout the race.

Carlos Sainz finished on the podium at the Las Vegas Grand Prix after overtaking Max Verstappen in the final stages of the race. The Ferrari driver started second but was unable to compete with the Mercedes F1 drivers and was caught off guard by the rapid degradation of the medium tires.

“It was a bit of a shock with the mediums. I expected us to be strong on those tires, but they lasted eight or nine laps. After that, it was just about damage limitation. I would have liked to be faster and fight for the win, but we didn’t have what it took. The podium was the maximum we could achieve,” admitted Sainz.

After the disappointment of last year due to his crash in FP1, he was pleased to secure a podium: “I hoped Vegas had something to offer me, and a podium is a form of redemption, but I made sure to avoid the drainage covers! But that’s in the past, and this race delivered another great spectacle.”

The battle with Charles Leclerc was intense, and Sainz noted this has often been the case at Ferrari since 2021: “It’s been like this for four years—Charles and I have been fighting, maybe not every race, but every two or three races, as we’re often on the same part of the track.”

“We’re close in pace and end up fighting each other while also taking on other teams. I don’t think we could have done better than third and fourth today.”

Charles Leclerc started fourth and finished in the same position. The Monegasque driver endured a disappointing first stint when his tires fell off. Despite a stronger end to the race, he could not improve on fourth place.

“The first laps were a bit tricky. I was fast, but we managed the tires less efficiently than others. It didn’t work because I lost a lot of pace in the first stint. The next two stints were better, but it was too late,” Leclerc told Canal+.

Leclerc was disappointed not to gain more points on McLaren but admitted it was impossible to achieve a better result: “Yes, not enough, especially since this is a track where we should have been fast. But the Mercedes were the quickest, so considering that, we achieved the best possible result.”

When informed that Max Verstappen had become a four-time world champion, Leclerc appeared unfazed: “Oh, right, I’d forgotten about that detail. So, congrats to him. I think it was just a matter of time; he’s had an exceptional season and deserves it.”