Charles Leclerc admits Ferrari was fortunate to gain points over McLaren, with Norris’ penalty helping the team stay in the title hunt.
On a circuit where McLaren F1 was clearly superior, Scuderia Ferrari ultimately gained points on its rival in the Constructors’ Championship, much to the delight and surprise of Charles Leclerc.
The Monegasque, who finished second in the race, notably benefited from the penalty imposed on Lando Norris to secure an unexpected result. However, he still praised his team, which, in his view, achieved the best possible weekend given their performance level.
“We knew it would be very difficult in terms of pace. We expected McLaren to be very strong in race pace. We perhaps didn’t expect Max to be as strong, but he was. However, finishing second after such a weekend, where the track characteristics were far from what we need for our car, is a surprise. We were a bit lucky, of course, on my side. We were a bit unlucky with Carlos and his puncture. But as a team, the weekend was positive. So yes, we exceeded our expectations because, before the weekend, I expected to lose a few points to McLaren here. However, we gained some, so that’s good.”
“I feel like we optimized our Saturday and Sunday. We knew it wouldn’t be our best weekend, but we decided to focus on ourselves and try to get the best possible result. And I think we did that very well. We can be satisfied. Of course, we now need to think about what we can do in the future to be faster on these types of tracks. But yes, this weekend, we worked very well as a team.”
Leclerc’s race was made more difficult from the start as he was without water throughout the Grand Prix, but he stated that it ultimately didn’t affect him.
“I didn’t drink, but I don’t think it was an issue for this race. Last year, it would have been a very, very big problem. I don’t think I would have finished the race without my drink, but this year it was quite calm. So yes, in terms of dehydration, it wasn’t a problem, but it was quite physical in the corners because we didn’t have any calculations to make. We just pushed from the first to the last lap, which is very enjoyable as a driver. I don’t think any of us had a clear head in the fast corners at the end of the race. It was very physical.”
The FIA made headlines on Sunday for not intervening when Alex Albon’s mirror ended up on the track on the start/finish straight, ultimately leading to punctures. But for Charles Leclerc, the decision wasn’t necessarily an easy one to make.
“I don’t know if it was obvious on TV, but for us in the car, it wasn’t. I didn’t know where the mirror was. I didn’t know what it was. Obviously, it became very clear once someone (Bottas) ran over it and there were debris everywhere. But before that, it wasn’t that bad. So, yes, once again, I don’t think it was that serious.”
Leclerc can still finish as runner-up, but he prefers a title for Ferrari
While Leclerc has closed to within eight points of Lando Norris and could still overtake him for second place in the Drivers’ Championship this weekend in Abu Dhabi, the main focus remains the Constructors’ title, with Ferrari trailing McLaren by 21 points ahead of the final round. Can the Scuderia make up this substantial deficit? Will the Yas Marina layout suit them better than Qatar?
“It’s hard to say. To be honest, I haven’t seen the numbers yet. So we’ll have to wait and see. But I feel like, on paper, the result should be slightly more positive than in Qatar. Because, in terms of race pace… Again, this time we were lucky, but without what happened to Lando, we would have been very, very far off. And without the safety car, we would have been far off too. We weren’t fast. So, I feel like… yes, Abu Dhabi should be better for us. I hope so. But we’ll see. There aren’t many points between us, so we need to focus on ourselves and try to optimize everything. And I hope we bring the title back to Maranello.”
“As for finishing second in the Drivers’ Championship, it would be nice. It’s better than third, but it’s not the most exciting position to fight for. However, in a year like this, where the team has had some very difficult moments, it will still be satisfying to achieve. So, yes, I will do absolutely everything to get it. But the Constructors’ Championship is more important.”
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Leclerc Hails Ferrari’s “Surprise” Points Gain Over McLaren Leclerc Hails Ferrari’s “Surprise” Points Gain Over McLaren
