Charles Leclerc is making it personal, he wants to gift Ferrari the second place in the championship
Ferrari could secure second place in the constructors' championship by the end of the weekend. Despite having a chance to climb up in the driver standings, Charles Leclerc places his team at the top of his priorities.
If the Red Bull season has already been concluded for a few races, the rest of the championship remains uncertain. This particularly concerns the race for second place, especially the status of vice-champion. Ferrari has made a remarkable comeback in the constructor’s standings, getting within just four small points of Mercedes before the last race of the season.
In this context, on a track that could favor the Italian team, the objectives are clear: to surpass Mercedes.
A personal challenge for Leclerc
In addition to the battle for second place in the constructors’ championship, Charles Leclerc also has a personal stake. The Monegasque, currently 7th in the standings with 188 points, has the opportunity to surpass Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz Jr with 200 points, as well as Lando Norris with 195 points. His teammate is the one who is most at risk of losing positions.
However, despite the possibility of reaching fourth place, Charles Leclerc wishes to prioritize the Ferrari team. “The fourth place among the drivers means absolutely nothing,” stated the 26-year-old driver at the end of FP2. “I would really like the team to be second at the end of the weekend. We have had a difficult season, and everyone deserves it. They have worked hard to bring improvements and deserve to finish second at the end of the year. I will do absolutely everything to achieve it. As for the drivers, I don’t have much hope of finishing fourth, but if it happens, so be it.”
Peu de données recueillies
(Not many data collected)
The weekend was marked by disruptions for the teams. During FP1, Robert Shwartzman drove Charles Leclerc’s car. FP2 was interrupted for about thirty minutes due to two red flags. In these conditions, Ferrari, like the other teams, will have to approach the race with less information than usual.
« “We are going into the race with as much information as a sprint weekend,” Leclerc said. « “We have very limited data, so it’s going to be very interesting. We will try to maximize the limited information we have, which is normally one of our strengths. I hope we can make the most of it.”
Ferrari could benefit from its good performance in qualifying to take a favorable position at the start of the race on Sunday.
