Charles Leclerc admits the ache of lacking out on the constructors’ championship with Ferrari outweighs the delight at his exceptional restoration drive within the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Leclerc began nineteenth on the grid resulting from an influence unit penalty and poor qualifying, leaving Ferrari with solely a distant probability of overturning a 21-point deficit to McLaren with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri beginning on the entrance row. A dramatic opening lap noticed Piastri hit by Max Verstappen and Leclerc achieve 11 positions to run within the high eight, happening to complete third behind teammate Carlos Sainz as Norris held on for the victory.
“I’m actually blissful in regards to the race, however the disappointment is loads greater,” Leclerc stated. “You don’t win or lose a championship within the final race — clearly, it’s over the course of the season and after each single race and McLaren has simply accomplished a greater job than us. Congratulations to them.
“Nevertheless it clearly hurts if you get to the final race. You recognize there’s a chance. It was a really tough weekend, clearly, already with the penalty on Friday. It was by no means going to be simple. However after such a superb first lap, the hopes had been excessive. And yeah, we simply got here wanting our dream, which was to win the constructors’. So it hurts.”
Leclerc’s sensible first lap together with a triple overtake across the outdoors of Flip 6 as he rapidly moved himself inside the highest 10, and he says he knew he needed to take dangers to present Ferrari any hope of overhauling McLaren.
Triple overtake for Charles! 😵
Watch Leclerc climb from P19 to P3 (!) and all the very best bits from the season finale 🎥#F1 #AbuDhabiGP
— Components 1 (@F1) December 8, 2024
“I knew I needed to be very aggressive, so I knew that in lap 1, I needed to take all of the dangers doable with the intention to achieve as many locations as doable, to then be in a superb place for the remainder of the race. This I achieved, however then, sadly, we had been simply beginning too far again to do something higher than what we’ve accomplished right now.
“I feel we’ve accomplished the utmost. It hurts, clearly, as a result of the season was so shut till the top. It was a tough hit on Friday once we knew we had the penalty. We nonetheless gave all of it and we simply got here wanting our aim, which is a disgrace. However on the finish, we’ve tried every thing.”
Sainz was nearer to Norris all through his ultimate race for Ferrari however couldn’t fairly communicate with the McLaren, and he admits his automobile didn’t fairly have the efficiency to safe the win it required.
“Clearly, a little bit of a bittersweet feeling ultimately,” Sainz stated. “P2, I feel, was the utmost we might do right now, given the tempo of Lando within the McLaren. I gave it every thing, particularly the primary stint. It seemed like we might cling on to them. Then as quickly as we put the exhausting tires, they only gave the impression to be that one or two tenths faster per lap, like we’ve seen all weekend, and so they simply bought a bit out of attain.
“Congratulations, initially, to McLaren. They deserve this championship. They’ve been rock strong within the final two-thirds of the championship — they’ve been unbelievable. From our aspect. I feel we might be happy with the hassle and the championship we put collectively. It’s been a troublesome yr, however positively a yr the place we have to be happy with, and hopefully I’ll be again right here quickly.”
