A Strong Start from Leclerc
Charles Leclerc is on a high after an impressive win at the United States Grand Prix, confidently stating that Ferrari is still “aiming for the title” following their strong performance at the Circuit of the Americas. Starting from P4 on the grid, Leclerc was one position behind his teammate Carlos Sainz. However, the 27-year-old from Monaco made a remarkable start, capitalizing on an early skirmish between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen to take the lead from the opening lap. This win marks Leclerc’s third of the season and the eighth of his Formula 1 career—a significant achievement after a roller-coaster weekend in Austin. “I’m really happy,” Leclerc exclaimed after jumping out of his car. “It wasn’t an easy week—I struggled a bit with the car’s feel, but I trusted the race would be better, and it was.”
Overcoming Challenges
Leclerc admitted his team was somewhat anxious about potential improvements from their competitors leading into the race. “We saw that yesterday in the Sprint race; we were a bit… not fearful, but we thought others would make significant progress today. However, we still dominated, so I’m very pleased with today,” he said. Ferrari’s outstanding result was beyond even his wildest dreams. When asked about his approach to the first corner, which gave him the lead, Leclerc described it as “a really good turn! It was exactly what I wanted to do. We had a great start. I knew it would be tough to get into Turn One.”
Praising Team Efforts
Reflecting on the previous day’s struggles, Leclerc noted that he had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. “Today, I benefited from that, and it definitely helped our first stint since we had incredible speed. After that, it was all about managing pace,” he added. Leclerc emphasized the car’s performance throughout the weekend. “Overall, the car’s pace today and this weekend has been really strong in the race, thanks largely to our engineers. They’ve worked hard over the past few months to deliver the upgrades we brought to Singapore and recent races, and it seems it’s paid off very well.”
Historic Win Boosts Championship Hopes
After learning that his second-place finish marked Ferrari’s first win in the U.S. in 18 years, Leclerc expressed pride in his team, solidifying their ambitions as they head into the season’s final five races. “Yes, very, very happy,” he confirmed. “We’re still aiming for the title—there’s a long way to go, but this is a good start for our goal.” This result significantly boosts Ferrari in the team battle, raising their points total to 496, just 8 points behind Red Bull in second, with McLaren leading at 544 points. In the drivers’ standings, Leclerc remains in third, now only 22 points behind second-place Norris. Meanwhile, Verstappen has extended his lead over Norris to 57 points. As the season continues, Leclerc’s victory in Austin has reignited Ferrari’s championship aspirations and highlighted their competitive edge as they strive for success.
