Charles Leclerc’s F1 US GP saw him finish P3, securing his first podium in several races following a challenging weekend. The Ferrari driver finished the race behind Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.
Recovering from Friday’s setbacks
Leclerc’s US GP begun with significant mechanical troubles that threatened to derail his entire weekend. Asked about his satisfaction with the turnaround, the Ferrari driver expressed genuine happiness with the result.
“I’m very happy,” Leclerc stated in the press conference. He emphasized the relief he felt after Friday’s difficulties.
“I’m very happy because obviously we had the gearbox problem in FP1, which cost us a little bit of laps,” he explained. The lost track time put the team in a difficult position early on, especially due to FP1 being the US GP’s only practice time.
“Which then meant we were a little bit on the back foot, trying to recover in the Sprint Qualifying and Sprint Race,” Leclerc continued. The team worked hard between sessions to find performance. “And then in qualifying we did some fine tuning, we found a lot more performance. And today was a really good race for us. So it’s a good thing, especially considering the whole situation,” noting that his podium represented a turnaround from Friday’s struggles.
Leclerc concluded: “The second part of the season hasn’t been easy. There is completely unfounded noise and rumours around the team. And I think to demonstrate that in those kinds of situations we can stay focused on the job and be rewarded with a podium is a really nice feeling.”
Aggressive tyre strategy
Leclerc’s US GP hinged on a bold tyre choice that set him apart from his rivals. Asked about the risk involved, the Ferrari driver acknowledged the gamble he took.
“I knew it was an aggressive strategy,” Leclerc admitted. Starting on softs while the rest of the top 10 chose mediums represented a calculated risk.
Leclerc’s US GP ambitions extended beyond simply gaining one position. “My plan was to be first after the first corner,” the Ferrari driver revealed. “I didn’t quite make that, but at least I gained a position, which helped me a little bit with free air. And that definitely helped our race.”
The strategy was influenced by his Friday running. “Again, I knew it was aggressive but considering the feeling I had on the Hard in FP1, I was quite convinced I didn’t want to touch that tyre,” Leclerc stated.
“So yeah, I was just a little bit worried when my engineer got on the radio on the grid and I was the only car on Softs, basically. So I thought, “OK, maybe there’s something I didn’t feel right.” But in the end, it ended up a good choice,” Leclerc explained. The strategy delivered the intended result.
Expecting Norris’s late attack
Leclerc’s US GP featured extended defensive driving as he held off Norris for most of the race. Asked about the McLaren driver’s successful late race overtake, the Ferrari driver showed clear awareness.
“I mean, Lando had four, five laps cooling down the tyres,” Leclerc observed. He understood exactly what strategy Norris was employing.
“And then I knew that when he would come back it would be very difficult to keep him behind,” Leclerc continued. “I tried because I managed to do so for quite a few laps.” His defensive efforts extended the battle longer than expected.
“But then towards the end the tyres were starting to struggle a bit more,” Leclerc stated. Tyre degradation ultimately helped decide the position between them.
Expectations for Mexico
Looking ahead to Mexico, Leclerc balanced hope with realism about Ferrari’s competitive position. Asked about the upcoming race following ex-teammate Carlos Sainz’s win there last year, the Monegasque driver offered measured thoughts.
“We are in a different situation now,” Leclerc stated after referencing the team’s win last year. His ambition remains despite the performance gap. “I mean, I still want to believe we can win a race before the end of the season.”
“But again, I think we need to be realistic in our situation and I don’t think we quite have the car to do so. I think this weekend has been the perfect weekend for the team and I’ll be surprised if we can achieve anything better until the end of the year.“
“But we’ll take it race by race and see what can be done,” Leclerc concluded. Ferrari will continue to fight despite limited expectations.
COTA’s racing characteristics
Asked about following and overtaking with the current generation of cars, Leclerc offered his perspective on the Circuit of the Americas after the US GP.
“I didn’t really follow much today,” Leclerc noted about his own race experience. He spent most of the race defending rather than attacking. “But it’s a track that I think we really enjoy — the way the track is made and how open up the entry of the corners are made it very entertaining and nice, because you’ve got different lines,” Leclerc analyzed.
“And yeah, this helps action and trying to make overtakes,” Leclerc stated. Strategic variety enhances wheel-to-wheel competition significantly. “So, yeah, I really, really enjoyed it,” he said, expressing his genuine appreciation for the racing. “Then for the last few laps I did behind Lando, I was struggling quite a bit with tyres. So I didn’t follow for very long,” he concluded.
Looking ahead
Leclerc’s US GP performance demonstrated that the Scuderia can still deliver strong results. The Austin podium provides a morale boost for the team as Ferrari heads into the final races of the season.
