Singapore Grand Prix: Fourth place, Charles Leclerc could have hoped for better
Main victim of the safety car intervention, the Ferrari driver misses the podium despite an excellent start.
Very strong from the Friday practice sessions, following in the footsteps of his teammate Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc could hope to fight for victory in the race. Behind the wheel of a highly competitive Ferrari and above the competition, the Monegasque executed a flawless start from third place on the grid to (steal) George Russell at the first turn.
Never more than three seconds away from his teammate in the first quarter of the race with a clever strategy on soft tires, Leclerc could have benefited from an undercut on Carlos Sainz, who started on mediums. Unfortunately, Logan Sargeant’s spin in his Williams compromised this idyllic plan. Called into the pits, both Ferraris stopped in front of their respective garages one after the other, and Charles Leclerc, forced to wait for George Russell and Lando Norris to pass him, lost a very valuable time.
Stuck in traffic, the 25-year-old driver made a small mistake that cost him a new position to Lewis Hamilton. Seeing his hopes of victory and even a podium slip away, Leclerc then defended his position in the top 5 until the end of the race, and took advantage of George Russell’s mistake on the last lap to finish 4th.
In the championship, the driver of the Ferrari number 16 is still in 6th place with 123 points.
