Charles Leclerc sees Verstappen’s aggressive moves against Norris as a key advantage in the battle for the championship.
Third in the Mexican race, Charles Leclerc would certainly have preferred to secure a one-two finish for Ferrari – but he was overtaken by a much faster Lando Norris towards the end of the event.
The Monegasque likely didn’t deserve to win in Mexico, as his teammate Carlos Sainz had been the fastest since the practice sessions. And Charles Leclerc was the first to acknowledge this after the Grand Prix.
“Yes, overall, it’s a really positive weekend for Ferrari, a bit less so for me personally. I wasn’t at my best this weekend, but that said, Carlos had a perfect weekend, from the first lap in FP1 to the last lap of the race.”
“On my side, I was a bit behind, especially after missing FP1 [Bearman was driving, editor’s note], and I never really caught up. During the race, I was quite fast in the first stint. Unfortunately, I had to… I was asked to manage the temperatures a lot, but well, that’s how it is. I’m very happy for the team, very happy for Carlos. He deserves this victory more than anyone this weekend because he was the best driver on the track. Yes, a good result for the team.”
What issues did Charles Leclerc struggle with in particular? Lack of grip?
“Nothing specific, sometimes you get in the car and the feeling is perfect, and sometimes you have to work much harder to find it, and that’s what happened this weekend. Obviously, my track time was quite limited as the entire FP2 session was dedicated to prototypes and Pirelli tests, and then FP3 was focused on getting back into rhythm, but I never really managed to. So yes, I wasn’t fast enough.”
Yet, when he was in second position, Charles Leclerc seemed at times to be closing in on Carlos Sainz…
“Of course, I saw that Carlos was just ahead, so you immediately think about the win. I felt really good at that point in the race, so yes, but I quickly realized it would be much more difficult with all the management I had to do. And honestly, I didn’t have the pace to beat Carlos.”
Leclerc’s Close Call
On lap 63, Charles Leclerc’s race nearly ended in the barriers: he lost grip at the final corner and barely caught his Ferrari just in time. Lando Norris overtook him at that moment, but the constructors’ championship could have taken a significant turn as well…
“At that moment, I had no chance of staying ahead of Lando. He was literally flying, and I think we were lucky as a team that the incident between Max and Lando at the start of the race slowed Lando down significantly. His second stint was very impressive. On my side, there was no way I could stay ahead. I knew it would be very difficult. I needed an incredible exit from the final corner, so I gave everything for a perfect one, but I lost the car and with it, the position. But I felt it was only a matter of laps, or even corners, before losing that place.”
“Oh, I don’t know what expression I made, but it must have been one of intense stress because as I lost control… I knew I had to do everything perfectly. Lando was so fast at that point. It was a matter of laps, but I was trying to do everything to make him overheat behind me and keep him behind for as long as possible. I tried to get the best exit possible. I could see he was very close. I lost the rear, and at that moment, you forget about Lando and just hope to regain control. I had an oversteer, and as I corrected it, I had an oversteer on the other side, and then I thought: ‘fuck…’ Oh, sorry!”
Charles Leclerc did indeed use the infamous ‘F’ word! He might face community service, similar to Max Verstappen…
“Oh no, sorry, sorry, I don’t want to join Max!”
“I just hoped to bring the car home and finish in third place.”
The FIA took note of Leclerc’s immediate apology for his outburst and has not yet decided whether to open an investigation against the Monegasque. The matter could be referred to the stewards of the Brazilian GP, but it is expected to be closed without further action.
Goal: Title(s)?
Ferrari has gained more points on McLaren in the constructors’ standings, bringing the title within reach for the Scuderia. This is, of course, the goal set by Charles Leclerc.
“Yes, of course, it must be our objective, but we don’t need to think about it every day. I believe the best way to achieve it is to focus on ourselves and maximize the potential of our car, which we have done for the past two weekends. But yes, the Constructors’ title is now within reach.”
However, Charles Leclerc has almost given up on the drivers’ championship.
“It’s up to us to perform well, rather than relying on mistakes from others, which is often the case for the drivers’ championship. For that, I would need to perform perfectly and depend on a lot of bad luck for others. So, the Constructors’ title is really our main goal, and if we continue with this momentum, it’s realistic.”
Charles Leclerc watched from the sidelines as Max Verstappen and Lando Norris battled it out—a battle that benefits Ferrari! How does the Monegasque see this rivalry between the two drivers playing out?
“Once again, I’m glad that Max is so aggressive with Lando, as it helps me, at least, to close the gap with him in the Drivers’ Championship. It’s more likely to be a duel between Lando and me than with Max, who has a solid points lead. On my side, I don’t think about the Drivers’ Championship realistically. As I said earlier, it’s better not to focus on the title; it doesn’t help achieve better results. We need to concentrate on each race. And ultimately, winning the drivers’ championship isn’t in my control… To clarify, of course, part of it depends on me, and if I win every race, I increase my chances. But even if I do that, Max would still need to have very poor weekends, and I’m not counting on that. So, I’ll do my best until the end of the season, and we’ll do the math at the end.”
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