mobile app bar

“Hopefully we’ll have a better car next year”: Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc feels optimistic about the way his team are preparing for the regulation changes in 2022

Somin Bhattacharjee
Published

"Hopefully we'll have a better car next year": Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc feels optimistic about the way his team are preparing for the regulation changes in 2022

Charles Leclerc feels that Ferrari working hard for the 2022 car will bear strong results and hopes he can challenge for the title. 

Leclerc missed out on 5th in the Drivers’ Championship after a disappointing end to the season in Abu Dhabi. The Ferrari driver started the race on 5th, but a poor decision to pit under the first safety car, cost him.

He ended up finishing 10th and picked up just 1 point from the final outing of 2021. On the other hand, his teammate Carlos Sainz continued his streak of strong results and finished on a podium. The Spaniard came 3rd behind title protagonists Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.

Leclerc highlighted his disappointment at taking the safety car gamble after the race. The 24 year old admitted that his SF21 didn’t have enough pace to catch up with others after he dropped back.

“Obviously, with the first Safety Car we tried something different and went for the pit stop. Unfortunately, we lost too many positions that we could never catch back, not enough pace.” said Leclerc.

“It’s a shame, but congratulations to Carlos for the outstanding job today and for fifth place in the Drivers’ Championship.”

Also read: F1 expert degrades Mercedes’ behaviour of not showing up to FIA Prize-Giving Gala

Charles Leclerc wants to fight for the Title in 2022

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto said long back that the Scuderia are more focused on the long term. The Italian team have spent most of this year focusing on how they can climb to the top in 2022.

Leclerc feels optimistic about how his team is working hard for next year. There are going to be massive regulation changes next time we see an F1 race, and it’s safe to say that Ferrari are prepared.

“Hopefully we’ll have a better car next year to hopefully come back and fight for the title.” Leclerc continued. The Monegasque driver went on to say that these mistakes should not happen if they’re in a title fight.

“I have to take responsibility for it and live with it. I prefer it to happen in a year like this rather than once we’ll be fighting for the title.”

Charles Leclerc finished the season 7th in the Standings. He ends his campaign 5.5 points behind Sainz and 1 point behind McLaren driver Lando Norris.

Also read: Former F1 Champion insists Michael Masi was correct with his lap decision at the Abu Dhabi GP

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

x-iconinstagram-iconlinkedin-icon

Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

Share this article