With 4 race weekends remaining within the Formulation 1 season, the chase for the Constructors’ Championship has become a three-way brawl between McLaren, Pink Bull, and Ferrari. On the backs of one other robust weekend, Ferrari has pulled into second in that combat, leapfrogging over Pink Bull within the standings thanks to a different double podium in Sunday’s Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix, with Carlos Sainz Jr. taking the victory and Charles Leclerc ending third.
Whereas the group has began to dream a few Constructors’ Championship, Leclerc admitted on Sunday night in Mexico Metropolis that he’s not serious about a Drivers’ Championship — the place he sits third within the standings behind Max Verstappen and Lando Norris — but.
“On my aspect, I don’t take into consideration the Drivers’ Championship, realistically. As I used to be saying earlier, I believe first the method is to not begin serious about the Drivers’ Championship. That doesn’t assist me obtain something extra. It’s by focusing race by race,” stated Leclerc in the course of the FIA Press Convention in Mexico Metropolis. “In fact, there’s a part of it that’s in my management. And if I win all races, that places a lot of the possibilities on my aspect. However even when I do this, I’ve acquired to have Max that has very poor weekends and I don’t depend on that, so I’ll simply try to do the very best finish of the season, after which we’ll do the maths on the finish of the season.”
Leclerc additionally admitted that he felt as if he was on the again foot all weekend in Mexico Metropolis.
“Yeah, I imply, all in all, it’s been a extremely optimistic weekend for Ferrari, a bit of bit much less for me personally. I haven’t been on my prime sport this weekend, however having stated that, I believe Carlos has been doing simply the right weekend from the primary lap in FP1 to the final one of many race. On my aspect, I used to be a bit of bit on the again foot, lacking FP1, and I by no means actually recovered,” stated Leclerc. “Through the race, I felt like I used to be comparatively fast on the primary stint. Sadly, I needed to do… I used to be requested to do various administration for temperatures, however yeah, on the finish it was the best way it’s. I believe I’m very pleased for the group, very pleased for Carlos. He deserves it greater than anyone this weekend as a result of he’s been driving higher than anybody. And yeah, an excellent consequence for the group.”
Later within the press convention, Leclerc conceded that even had he not gone broad on Lap 63, which opened the door for Norris to wrestle away P2 ultimately, the McLaren driver was going to catch him finally.
“Oh, by then I had no likelihood to remain in entrance of Lando. Lando was flying, and I believe as a group, we’ve been fairly fortunate that no matter occurred with Max and Lando originally of the race, that slowed him down massively, and his second stint was very, very spectacular. In order that was an excellent factor for us, and that most likely helped us,” added Leclerc. “On my aspect, there was no approach that I may keep in entrance. I knew that it could be very tough. I knew that I needed to have an unbelievable exit out of the final nook, so I attempted to place every thing… to have a extremely good exit, went over the restrict, misplaced the automotive, and misplaced the place, however I felt it was a query of laps or corners earlier than I misplaced that place.”
You possibly can see that second — and Leclerc’s spectacular save — right here:
Leclerc’s save prevented catastrophe for Ferrari and helped the group transfer up one place nearer to the highest of the Constructors’ Championship. Whereas the consequence additionally noticed Leclerc transfer nearer to Max Verstappen within the Drivers’ Championship, the Ferrari driver just isn’t taking a look at that as a real chance.
But.
