In F1, no driver who has the means to win would want to finish second. But sometimes, even the best are left dealing with mechanical packages that can’t finish ahead of the others. Charles Leclerc, unfortunately, has been a victim of that for some time. But being a ‘glass half full’ kind of talent, Leclerc sees finishing second as “the first of the losers”, which he feels would be a bonus this season.
In the final two races of 2024, Leclerc would aim to score as many points as possible. Not just to finish P2 in the Drivers’ Championship himself, but also to help Ferrari win its first Constructors’ title since 2008.
“I always say the second is the first of the losers. However, second place in a year like this would mean a lot cause it wasn’t an easy year. The priority is the constructors. However, the second place in the drivers would be a nice bonus,” he said ahead of the Qatar GP.
️#Leclerc: “I always say the second is the first of the losers. However second place in a year like this would mean a lot cause it wasn’t an easy year. The priority is the constructors however the second place in the drivers would be a nice bonus” #QatarGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/YbEdnyFon7
— Bad Post F1 (@BadpostF1) November 28, 2024
For the most part this season, Ferrari did not have a winning car. Still, the team’s hard work made sure they had a late-season resurgence, which saw both Leclerc and Carlos Sainz start to compete for race wins almost regularly. In what has been an inconsistent season, Leclerc stood on top of the podium thrice, once more than Sainz. This is likely why Leclerc is content with a second-place finish.
Speaking of Ferrari, they have a strong chance of clinching the Constructors’ Championship. The Maranello-based team currently sits just 24 points behind leaders McLaren and carries significant momentum. In Qatar, they secured 3rd and 4th place finishes, with Leclerc leading the charge ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri (P5 and P6 respectively).
Norris is also just ahead of Leclerc in the Drivers’ Championship, with the Ferrari driver trailing by 21 points. While finishing second in the standings might not be Leclerc’s primary goal, every point he earns for himself will also contribute to Ferrari’s tally— a case of hitting two birds with one stone.
What McLaren has to do
Only a perfect weekend for McLaren in Qatar will help them seal the Constructors’ title. McLaren will need not only a 1-2 finish in both the sprint and the main race but also for either Norris or Piastri to secure the extra point for the fastest lap in Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Here’s how McLaren can clinch the World Constructors’ Championship this weekend in Qatar pic.twitter.com/WzcsGwsLn3
— Autosport (@autosport) November 27, 2024
As for Ferrari, they must ensure that McLaren’s lead over them is less than 45 points to take the title fight to the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Realistically, however, Ferrari’s hopes of winning the championship hinge on outscoring McLaren this weekend.
