With 4 race weekends remaining within the Formulation 1 season, the chase for the Constructors’ Championship has changed into a three-way brawl between McLaren, Pink Bull, and Ferrari. On the backs of one other sturdy weekend, Ferrari has pulled into second in that battle, 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 interested by a Drivers’ Championship — the place he sits third within the standings behind Max Verstappen and Lando Norris — but.
“On my facet, I don’t take into consideration the Drivers’ Championship, realistically. As I used to be saying earlier, I feel first the method is to not begin interested by the Drivers’ Championship. That doesn’t assist me obtain something extra. It’s by focusing race by race,” stated Leclerc through 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 possibilities on my facet. 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 attempt to do the very 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, just a little bit much less for me personally. I haven’t been on my high sport this weekend, however having stated 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 facet, I used to be just a little 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 numerous administration for temperatures, however yeah, on the finish it was the way in which it’s. I feel I’m very completely satisfied for the group, 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, a superb 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 in the long run, the McLaren driver was going to catch him ultimately.
“Oh, by then I had no likelihood to remain in entrance of Lando. Lando was flying, and I feel as a group, we’ve been fairly fortunate that no matter occurred with Max and Lando firstly of the race, that slowed him down massively, and his second stint was very, very spectacular. In order that was a superb factor for us, and that in all probability helped us,” added Leclerc. “On my facet, there was no method that I might keep in entrance. I knew that it will be very troublesome. I knew that I needed to have an unbelievable exit out of the final nook, so I attempted to place every little thing… to have a very 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 averted 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 will not be taking a look at that as a real chance.
But.
