Not too long ago, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris looked to be the only contenders for the Drivers’ championship. That was until Charles Leclerc registered his third win of the season at the US Grand Prix last weekend. The resultant upsurge in points has brought the Monegasque close to the top two drivers. However, he is wary about getting too excited over it.
Leclerc encountered the question during his recent interview with Sky F1’s Rachel Brookes. The Ferrari ace revealed he would never count himself out of the title hunt until he was mathematically out of the equation. However, he added that a lot would depend on luck, apart from Ferrari putting in some top-notch effort.
That luck, according to Leclerc, would require Verstappen to have some bad races. Otherwise, the realistic target for him, given the remaining fixtures, would be fighting with Norris for P2.
CHARLES LECLERC TAKES VICTORY IN TEXAS!
Sainz finishes in 2nd and Verstappen takes the final step on the podium#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/QvNVCN5XUJ
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) October 20, 2024
Leclerc said, “I’m fully aware that it will not only require us to do extremely well but it will also require some luck. Obviously, [for] Max especially to have some problems. I don’t wish that on anybody but obviously, we’ve got to focus on ourselves…”
“But to be completely honest, the title will be difficult. The second place with Lando is possible but I still believe maybe they didn’t put everything together in Austin, but they still have an extremely strong car. So, we’ll see where we are consistently over the rest of the season,” he added.
Leclerc is currently sitting in P3 in the drivers’ standings with 275 points to his name. Norris is ahead by just 22 points, just three points shy of the 300 mark. Verstappen, meanwhile, is cruising comfortably in the lead with 354 points.
Ferrari’s mid-season resurgence
Ferrari has had a roller coaster ride of a 2024 season. Even during Verstappen’s impeccable run in the earlier leg of the campaign, the Italian outfit managed to snatch two victories from the Dutchman in Australia and Monaco. However, the Prancing Horse ran out of steam until Leclerc registered another victory at the Italian GP.
Since then, Ferrari has delivered consistent performance resulting in Leclerc and Carlos Sainz becoming podium regulars. The momentum could prove to be crucial as a better understanding of the concept could help build their 2025 car in the right direction.
Before that, Ferrari will look to overtake Red Bull in the constructors’ championship. Putting the reigning champions in 3rd will not only dent their morale but also hurt them financially given the reduced prize money Red Bull will draw.
Leclerc too has credited the team for his latest victory. Sainz, who is also a beneficiary of this upsurge in performance, will look to add another win to his tally after grabbing the pole position in Mexico.
