Leclerc: Ferrari needs 1-2 in Abu Dhabi to keep title hopes alive
Charles Leclerc believes Ferrari must deliver a perfect result – a one-two finish – at next weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to stand any chance of overtaking McLaren in the race for the Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship.
Ahead of Formula 1’s season finale at Yas Marina, Ferrari trails its papaya rival by 21 points.
Leclerc’s second-place finish at last weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix offered the Italian outfit a glimmer of hope, as the team gained a valuable three points on McLaren despite challenging conditions.
McLaren had widened the gap with a dominant performance in the Sprint, but setbacks in the Grand Prix for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri allowed Ferrari to claw back some ground.
Leclerc acknowledged that Ferrari had exceeded expectationd in Qatar.
“Yes, we did, because we knew that it would be very difficult pace-wise,” he explained, quoted by Motorsport Week. “We expected McLaren to be very strong in terms of race pace. We maybe did not expect Max to be that strong, but he was super strong.
“However, finishing second after such a weekend, where the track characteristics are very far off from the optimal of the track characteristics we need for our car, is a surprise.
“We got a little bit lucky, obviously on my side. A bit unlucky with Carlos and his puncture. But as a team, it’s been a positive weekend.
“We exceeded our expectations because coming into the weekend, I expected to lose a bit of points compared to McLaren here. However, we recovered some, so that’s good.”
Despite Ferrari’s resilience, Leclerc remains clear-eyed about the monumental task ahead.
“In Abu Dhabi, to win the title we will have to win and be first and second,” insisted the Monegasque. “We have never won, but there is always a first time. It is a good year to do it.
“In Monte Carlo I have never won and I did it this year. Maybe we will be able to do it in Abu Dhabi too, where we have never won before.”
©Ferrari
Leclerc is optimistic that Ferrari’s SF-24 will be better suited to the Yas Marina Circuit than it was to the high-speed demands of the Losail track in Qatar.
“I feel like on paper, it should be a bit more positive than Qatar was,” he said. “Today we’ve been quite lucky, but without what happened to Lando, we would have been very, very far off. And without the Safety Car, we would have been very far off.
“In terms of race pace, we weren’t fast.
“So I feel like… Yeah, Abu Dhabi should be better for us. So I hope so. But we’ll wait and see.
“But it’s not too many points between us. So we’ve just got to focus on ourselves and try to maximise everything. And hopefully we’ll bring back the title to Maranello.”
In addition to the Constructors’ Championship, Leclerc has an opportunity to finish second in the Drivers’ Championship. He trails Norris by just eight points heading into Abu Dhabi but views the team’s success as the higher priority.
“That would be cool,” he said of taking second place in the standings. “It’s better than P3, but it’s not the most exciting position to fight for.
“However, in a year like this, where it’s been very tricky for the team and we’ve went through very difficult times, it will be still a satisfaction to get that P2.
“So, yeah, I’ll still do absolutely everything to get it. But the Constructors is more important.”
Ferrari has achieved two one-two finishes this season – in Melbourne and in Austin, but repeating the feat in Abu Dhabi, a circuit where the team has never won, will require flawless execution and perhaps a bit of luck.
For Leclerc, the mission is clear: deliver a historic performance to give Ferrari a shot at the title and end the season on a high note.
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