After a hard-fought third place in Mexico, Charles Leclerc aims to return to the top step of the podium in Brazil. The Monegasque, who has achieved three victories so far this season, also hopes for more battles between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, which could allow Ferrari to further close the gap with McLaren in the 2024 Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship.
Charles Leclerc believes Ferrari can win again
“I think it’s good for Max to be as aggressive as possible with Lando because it helps me; it at least gives me the chance to try to catch up to Lando in the drivers’ championship,” said Charles Leclerc ahead of the weekend at Interlagos.
However, he’s cautious about talking title contention: “It’s mainly a battle between me and Lando rather than with Max, who has a big points advantage. The first thing I need to do is not start thinking about the drivers’ championship. That doesn’t help me when I’m trying to reach a goal. I’m focusing on each race individually.” – the Ferrari driver pointed out during the press conference on Thursday evening.
“Besides, I don’t have full control over the drivers’ title. There are things I can control, like winning races, which gives me the best chances. But even if I did, Max would still need to have several very negative race weekends, and I don’t think that’s going to happen. I’m just trying to do my best, and we’ll tally things up at the end of the season.” – he added.
The Constructors’ title goal is far more realistic, with the Maranello team now 29 points away from the top: “It would be a very, very important achievement,” Charles Leclerc continued.
“We don’t really talk about it. Within the team, we’re all focused on this weekend, and I think we’ll take it step by step. It’s the right approach to follow. I feel the motivation is very high, and we need to harness it positively.”
The Weekend’s Goal
Finally, setting the target for the Sao Paulo weekend, which is the second last sprint round of the 2024 Formula 1 campaign, Charles Leclerc concluded by saying: “In Brazil, we’re not at altitude like last week. You don’t have overheating every time you’re behind a competitor. I don’t expect to have the issues I had in Mexico this weekend. When you arrive on a track with fresh asphalt, you don’t have reference data. FP1 will be very important, and I believe it will play a crucial role. We need to adapt as quickly as possible. If we do a great job, we’ll have the chance to win this race too. On paper, we’re not the favorites; McLaren is still the team to beat, but we’ll have our own cards to play.”
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