The Battle for the Constructors’ Championship is Still Open for Scuderia Ferrari, with the Title Race Going Down to the Wire. Leclerc Makes a Promise Ahead of Abu Dhabi.
A second-place finish that feels like a possibility for further achievements and unfinished battles, but above all, it ignites a glimmer of hope, dreaming of once again waving the Constructors’ Championship flag at Maranello after 2008, sixteen years ago, when it was won with Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa.
Following Charles Leclerc’s result, which saw him cross the finish line on the podium ahead of Oscar Piastri, and Carlos Sainz’s sixth-place finish—just ahead of Lando Norris—at the end of the weekend at the Lusail circuit, Scuderia Ferrari has maintained a 21-point deficit to McLaren, a gap that could have been even smaller if the Spaniard hadn’t suffered a puncture during the 34th lap of the Qatar Grand Prix.
In interviews with David Coulthard after the race, the Monegasque driver mentioned that he would have gladly signed up for this result before the race weekend. This statement suggests that the points earned today were far from guaranteed within the Ferrari garage.
Leclerc also commented on the weekend in Qatar to the media, describing it as perfect, but identifying pace as the Achilles’ heel of the SF-24 in Qatar: “I don’t think we were being conservative; I think we were perfect. Unfortunately, today the issue wasn’t management or strategy; it was simply the pace. The pace wasn’t there, and when that happens, you have to make the most of what you have, and I think we did it really well.”
“I’m satisfied with today. You can never be 100% satisfied when you finish second, but on a track like this… we never said it in the team since we arrived, but I get the feeling that we all expected to leave this race with fewer points than McLaren, and instead, it was the opposite. I think this is a good sign ,” continued the number 16 driver.
The next race will be the final one of the season, held at a track historically not friendly to Maranello-built cars. Despite this, Charles Leclerc remains determined and declared: “In Abu Dhabi, we’ll still be in the fight and we will do everything to win the title. We need to win, first and second. Today is a shame because with Carlos, we could have finished second and third. At Yas Marina, we’ve never won, but there’s always a first time for everything. I think this is a good year to do it. I’d never won in Monaco, and this year, there was a first time. I hope it will be the same in Abu Dhabi “.
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari HP.
