Charles Leclerc’s all-out Las Vegas GP: “I left nothing in the car – every lap was qualifying pace”. Charles Leclerc completed a relentless 50-lap charge at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Charles Leclerc leaves Las Vegas with a half-smile after 50 extremely demanding laps on the Sin City circuit. The Ferrari driver, who started ninth following a qualifying session that proved complicated for everyone, crossed the finish line in sixth place. Charles Leclerc produced a long recovery drive that kept him fully engaged for all 50 laps along the Strip and, by just one tenth of a second, he could have finished as high as fifth.

It was not the result Ferrari had hoped for, but car number 16 did not sound too disappointed afterwards. He knows he gave absolutely everything and said he had no regrets. He did admit, however, that with a few details handled better, he might have recovered that decisive tenth.

The 28-year-old leaves Las Vegas with mixed feelings: slightly bitter about the final result — because every driver races to win — yet satisfied that he fought hard and recovered several positions. For Ferrari, though, the battle with Mercedes for second place in the Constructors’ Championship is becoming increasingly difficult. With today’s result, the Brackley team has strengthened its advantage over the Scuderia with only two rounds remaining in the season.

Without regrets, but far from fully happy

“Yes, well, today in my opinion there wasn’t… I don’t like saying this, but I really have the impression that I didn’t leave anything in the car,” Charles Leclerc said, clearly not completely satisfied, after finishing the Las Vegas GP. “All my laps were qualifying laps. I took risks, like I would do in qualifying, every lap.”

“So I have no regrets. But I don’t know how much we were missing to get fifth place — a tenth, I think. And that frustrates me, because for that we could definitely have done something more with the Power Unit management.”

“I don’t know. Maybe something else too, because we’re talking about a tenth over the course of 50 laps,” the Monegasque added. “That said, that’s how it went. It was a difficult race because I had to take incredible risks to overtake, since we weren’t performing well on the straights.”

“But come on, it didn’t go badly,” the Ferrari driver concluded at the end of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, trying to look at the positives in a weekend that was far from ideal for both him and the Italian team.

Bigger picture getting tougher

While Charles Leclerc can hold his head high for the drive, the result hurts Ferrari’s constructors’ championship hopes. Mercedes extended their lead over the Italian team, making second place an increasingly distant dream with only Qatar and Abu Dhabi remaining.

One tenth here, a couple of strategy tweaks there – small margins that keep adding up. Charles Leclerc knows it, the team knows it, and the Tifosi feel it. But if there’s one positive to take into the final two rounds, it’s that when the car is in the window, number 16 is still prepared to risk everything to drag it forward.