Ferrari feel Charles Leclerc “lost 40 points due to bad luck” in 2021 F1 season. Charles "lost 40 points due to bad luck".

Scuderia Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto feels Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc deserved a better finishing position in the 2021 Formula 1 Driver Standings.

The Italian side’s Team Principal pointed out two events which cost Leclerc a lot in the final standings at the end of the championship, as the Monegasque finished P7, six points away from fifth place, which was taken by team mate Carlos Sainz: “I’m very happy to see the progress he has made this season.” – Mattia Binotto said of Charles Leclerc’s third year alongside the Maranello team and his first with Carlos Sainz as teammate – “He has always been very fast in the quali, even in the last part of the season where maybe Carlos was challenging him a bit more, he has always been very fast.” – the Ferrari boss added.

Mattia Binotto explained that the Monaco Grand Prix and Hungarian Grand Prix were the two races in which Charles could have scored about 40 points: the Ferrari driver was able to take pole position on the streets of Monte Carlo, but crashed on his final Q3 lap, which eventually led to a technical issue that did not allow him to take part in the race on Sunday, despite the Maranello team’s efforts to fix the SF21 car overnight. A few weeks later, Charles was taken out at the Hungaroring immediately after the start by the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll.

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“We should not forget that in his season, there are a couple of examples, which is Monaco and Budapest, where he didn’t score but I think he has been unlucky as a driver in those occasions. Without that, it’s difficult to say what he would have finished at the end of the race, but maybe at least 40 points missing on his classification. So without that again I think he would have been a lot further ahead in the championship.” – Mattia Binotto explained.

An additional 40 points would have lifted Charles Leclerc to fourth in the standings at the end of the year, even ahead of Sergio Perez: “That’s why, again, I can only judge very positively his season. He has learned furthermore how to manage the tyres, how to manage the race situations and the race pace. So I’m quite pleased on the progress he made.” – Scuderia Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto concluded.