Leclerc confident Ferrari 'has a shot' at F1 Constructors' title
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Charles Leclerc believes that Ferrari has a genuine "shot" at beating rival McLaren to Formula 1's 2024 Constructors' title given the Scuderia's resurgence and renewed mindset.
Ferrari currently trails championship leader McLaren by 36 points, while the Italian outfit's advantage over Red Bull in third place is 13 points.
Despite Leclerc's confidence, the spread between F1's top three teams indicates that it's all to play for between the latter, with the bulls still very much in the mix.
Yet the Monegasque is especially focused on Ferrari's gap to McLaren.
"Yeah, I think the feeling is [to win the Constructors']," commented Leclerc ahead of this weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix.
"But more than the feeling, I think the target is to beat McLaren and we really think that we have a shot at it this year."
After a mid-season slump that saw the Scuderia struggle to find a competitive pace, the Italian outfit has performed remarkably well in the second half of the season, winning three of the last five races.
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Leclerc acknowledged his team's run of from but stressed the importance of staying grounded and maintaining focus.
"We've been particularly strong in the last three races. But we are also aware that we cannot rely on the good results of the last three races. We've got to focus step by step.
"The mentality is super important in those times and not let yourself be carried away with the positive environment we are in at the moment.
"That's what we are trying to do, to try and put everything together, to first of all focus on this race and try to maximise everything.
"There are still lots of points to grab this weekend, but in Qatar there will be a sprint weekend as well, so quite a lot of points.
"So we've just got to stay on it and stay focused until the end."
Leclerc attributed Ferrari's recent strength to a shift in the team's internal culture, spearheaded by team principal Fred Vasseur.
Since joining Ferrari at the start of 2023, Vasseur has worked to insulate the outfit from external pressures and rumors, allowing the team to focus on development and execution.
"I think the mindset is a big part of why we are much stronger as a team now," Leclerc said.
"In Formula 1, and especially around Ferrari, there are always rumours, there are always things that are being said.
"There's obviously a very deep analysis on why we are not performing at this race or why we are really good at this race. And all this outside noise in the past used to affect us a little bit and in the way we worked."
The Monegasque driver highlighted Vasseur's influence as a turning point in the team's approach.
"Since Fred came, there's been a big step forward with how we handle these things," Leclerc explained.
"I think that helped the whole team to work better, to work in a more disciplined way without being affected by the outside perception, which is very, very important. So that was a big step forward."
Although winning the Constructors' Championship will be an uphill battle, Ferrari's recent performance and improved team dynamic give Leclerc hope that the Scuderia can end the season on a high note.
With 86 points still available across the final three races - thanks in part to Qatar's sprint weekend - Ferrari aims to stay on the offensive and capitalize on every opportunity to close the gap to McLaren.
For Leclerc, the key will be a relentless focus on execution: "We've just got to stay on it and stay focused until the end."
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