Leclerc Wary of McLaren Pace as Ferrari Eyes Strong Points

Leclerc Wary of McLaren Pace as Ferrari Eyes Strong Points

01/11/2024

Ferrari’s drivers face mounting pressure as McLaren’s speed forces them to refine strategies in a fiercely competitive Brazilian weekend.

Charles Leclerc isn’t displeased with Ferrari’s performance at Interlagos, yet the Scuderia driver is concerned about McLaren’s strong showing in Brazil. While he remains hopeful of challenging them, he’s also preparing for a scenario where he may need to secure substantial points behind Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

“I’m pleased because we maximised today’s result; I don’t think there was anything more we could have done,” Leclerc stated. “The McLarens are so quick that we’re a bit behind this weekend, so scoring points will be crucial.”

“I don’t like saying this so early in the weekend, so we’ll give everything to challenge them. But given the pace they showed today, they were particularly strong.”

Carlos Sainz believes he can improve on his fifth place if he can extract more performance from the soft tyres: “It was quite challenging with the track temperature dropping. The tyres struggled to get into the right window. We managed a lap on them, which should help us for the rest of the weekend.”

Sainz Seeks Edge on Soft Tyres to Bolster Ferrari’s Bid

“With the softs, there’s a bit of time to be found. I remember in Austin, we struggled on softs on Friday, but we managed to find a bit more time by qualifying. So yes, that’s the plan – try to find something more with the softs tomorrow for qualifying.”

Sainz Seeks Edge on Soft Tyres to Bolster Ferrari’s Bid Sainz Seeks Edge on Soft Tyres to Bolster Ferrari’s Bid

F1 Standings 2025
F1 Standings 2025
#
Driver
Points
1
Driver Flag
Max Verstappen
Red Bull
0
2
Driver Flag
Lando Norris
McLaren
0
3
Driver Flag
Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
0
4
Driver Flag
Oscar Piastri
McLaren
0
5
Driver Flag
Carlos Sainz
Williams
0
6
Driver Flag
George Russell
Mercedes
0
#
Team
Points
1
McLaren
Norris & Piastri
0
2
Ferrari
Leclerc & Hamilton
0
3
Red Bull
Verstappen & Lawson
0
4
Mercedes
Russell & Antonelli
0
5
Aston Martin
Alonso & Stroll
0
6
Alpine
Gasly & Doohan
0
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