“We’ve got to be the team that comes out on top” Leclerc says as he wants to fight for more wins
Written by Bo Helmus
With only six more races to go, if the races in the Middle-East will be held, the championship battle is reaching its climax. First place in both championships seems to be decided, but apart from the title-winning position, there is still a lot to fight for.
Ferrari is currently in second place in the constructors’ championship. Mercedes is out of reach, but McLaren could still snatch that runner-up position from the Prancing Horses.
Charles Leclerc doesn’t seem bothered by that at all: “Honestly, the most important thing for us is to focus race by race and try to get as many wins as possible from now until the end of the season, which eventually, as a result, will give us second place in the Constructors’ Championship.”
Getting back to winning
It is eight races ago that a Ferrari last stood on the top step of the podium.
The Monegasque has a real athlete’s mentality: if it isn’t first place, it doesn’t matter.
He says: “Second place in the Constructors’ Championship isn’t something I really care about. It’s obviously better than third, but it wouldn’t be a huge satisfaction.
“A much bigger satisfaction would be for us to be able to fight for wins and actually win races before the end of the year. That would also be a good sign to start next year on a high.”
Fastest car on the grid
Ferrari has been close to the front at the last couple of races. They have been battling with Red Bull for pole positions and wins. Because of this, Isack Hadjar has said that he thinks the Ferrari is currently the fastest car.
Leclerc doesn’t feel the same: “I don’t agree, but to each their own opinion. At the end of the day, we’ll never know, so I think maybe it’s a bit of a pointless discussion.”
However, the pace of the SF-26 is promising. A win in the remaining races isn’t out of reach at all: “We were happy with our performance in Singapore, although we still have some steps to take. As we’ve seen, Red Bull have taken a step up over the last few races, and they’re enjoying very good momentum. It’s up to us to try to reverse that trend and get back in front.”
Exciting end to the season
Although Mercedes has been performing below their season standard lately, they shouldn’t be forgotten. The Silver Arrows can still make their updates work and achieve more victories this season.
Leclerc isn’t counting them out just yet: “I’m pretty sure Mercedes will also, at some point, figure out their new upgrades and get back to where they were before, as will McLaren, which I’ve heard is bringing a significant package here.”
“But it’s exciting. I think we’re all relatively close, and it all comes down to small details. We’ve got to be the team that comes out on top.”
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