Charles Leclerc finished fifth in the Brazilian Grand Prix, delivering a solid performance despite a lack of standout moments.
Leclerc crossed the line in fifth place of the Brazil’s GP, a decent result for the Constructors’ Championship after a rather anonymous race for Ferrari. The number 16 driver managed to keep both McLarens behind him while Sainz’s race ended prematurely.
At the microphones, the Monegasque driver commented on his race, starting with the incorrect setup: “The setup was decided with the team, and we thought it was going in the right direction. Instead, it definitely went the wrong way. The pace simply wasn’t there; we weren’t competitive. In qualifying, we weren’t that bad with fresh tires and low fuel.”
Leclerc added, “In the race, it was tough to drive; it was hard not to make mistakes. In the end, looking at everything, we can be happy to have finished ahead of both McLarens and to have lost only two points in the Constructors’ Championship. It was a good way to limit the damage in a weekend where we knew McLaren would be very strong. Now we need to put everything together in the last three races of the season.”
The number 16’s race was also impacted by a red flag following an early pit stop by Ferrari. Leclerc explained the decision to stop before everyone else: “The strategy was clearly a mistake. In a race like this, it’s very difficult not to make errors; it’s very complex due to what happens and what can occur. If we look at it, only the top three didn’t make strategic mistakes
We went in the wrong direction. We thought we could pit and then be in clear air, but the time for entering and exiting the pit lane, especially in wet conditions, was much longer, and that put me in traffic with Bearman and Hamilton. At that point, I knew I would lose a lot. Then the Safety Car came out, and we lost positions. It was very tough.”
Now there’s a two-week break before the Las Vegas race, a track that has been favorable for Ferrari, as demonstrated by Leclerc’s second-place finish there last season. He said: “We were very strong in Las Vegas last year. I hope to be just as strong. But it’s also true that this year we’ve made significant strides in tire management. This means we’re missing something in cooler track conditions, as we saw today. Las Vegas will be a bit like that.
We hope to work well in these two weeks and arrive ready. We know we can perform well because the track has good characteristics for our car, but we need to make better use of the tires. I think we can do well in Abu Dhabi as well, but I believe that in Qatar, we’ll need to focus on limiting the damage.”
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari