With 4 race weekends remaining within the System 1 season, the chase for the Constructors’ Championship has become a three-way brawl between McLaren, Purple Bull, and Ferrari. On the backs of one other sturdy weekend, Ferrari has pulled into second in that struggle, leapfrogging over Purple 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 workforce has began to dream a couple of Constructors’ Championship, Leclerc admitted on Sunday night in Mexico Metropolis that he’s not enthusiastic 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 feel first the strategy is to not begin enthusiastic about the Drivers’ Championship. That doesn’t assist me obtain something extra. It’s by focusing race by race,” mentioned Leclerc throughout the FIA Press Convention in Mexico Metropolis. “After all, there’s a part of it that’s in my management. And if I win all races, that places many of the probabilities on my aspect. However even when I try 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 absolute best finish of the season, after which we’ll do the mathematics 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 very optimistic weekend for Ferrari, somewhat bit much less for me personally. I haven’t been on my prime sport this weekend, however having mentioned that, I feel Carlos has been doing simply the proper weekend from the primary lap in FP1 to the final one of many race. On my aspect, I used to be somewhat bit on the again foot, lacking FP1, and I by no means actually recovered,” mentioned Leclerc. “Throughout 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 feel I’m very completely satisfied for the workforce, very completely satisfied 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 workforce.”
Later within the press convention, Leclerc conceded that even had he not gone huge on Lap 63, which opened the door for Norris to wrestle away P2 in the long run, the McLaren driver was going to catch him finally.
“Oh, by then I had no probability to remain in entrance of Lando. Lando was flying, and I feel as a workforce, 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 in all probability helped us,” added Leclerc. “On my aspect, there was no method that I may keep in entrance. I knew that it could be very troublesome. I knew that I needed to have an unbelievable exit out of the final nook, so I attempted to place the whole lot… to have a very good exit, went over the restrict, misplaced the automobile, and misplaced the place, however I felt it was a query of laps or corners earlier than I misplaced that place.”
You’ll be able to see that second — and Leclerc’s spectacular save — right here:
Leclerc’s save averted catastrophe for Ferrari and helped the workforce 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 shouldn’t be that as a real chance.
But.
