Monégasque strengthened confidence in Ferrari and says consistency is the key to competing with Mercedes in the final stretch of the season
Charles Leclerc emerged from the São Paulo Grand Prix qualifying session with a discreet but genuine smile. The third place on the grid may not have the luster of a pole position, but for the Monegasque driver, after an irregular weekend and a difficult start at Interlagos, the result represents a recovery of confidence and perfect execution that Ferrari has been seeking.
“I don’t want to overstate the idea of a turnaround, because we’re talking about a difference of one and a half tenths,” Leclerc said. “But here, one and a half tenths means falling out in Q1 or being in the top 3. We did everything perfectly from Q1 to Q3, and that was the difference. The team executed flawlessly,” the Monegasque driver told journalists at Interlagos, in the presence of RallyBuzz.
The driver highlighted that the weekend started complicated from the free practice, when the car proved unstable and difficult to balance. “It was a very difficult weekend from the start of free practice. We had to change the car before qualifying, and that helped us take a step forward. That’s why I’m so satisfied with P3 — because we didn’t expect that after the start we had.”
Even without the pace to compete with Norris and Antonelli, Leclerc recognized the importance of accumulating solid results in this final stretch of the season. “It’s my third consecutive top 3 finish. Consistency is coming back. Maybe the car isn’t the best on all circuits, but we manage to get the most out of it when everything comes together. That’s what matters most now,” he explained.
Leclerc also responded with a touch of irony to the question about the chance of finally stepping onto the podium in Interlagos — something that has yet to happen. “I’ve had years where the car seemed better, but this time we started in a good position. If we maintain P3, P2, or P1 after the start, anything can happen,” said the Ferrari driver, maintaining the pragmatic tone that has accompanied him in this more stable phase of the season.
With Ferrari competing point for point with Mercedes for second place in the Constructors’ Championship, Leclerc’s regularity has been the pillar of the team. In a championship where mistakes are costly and tenths are decisive, the Monegasque driver assumes an increasingly strategic role within the Scuderia.
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