Charles Leclerc on potential Ferrari challenges in Las Vegas: "We still need to stay optimistic"
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On November 24, the second Las Vegas GP will take place, and despite his optimism, Charles Leclerc fears that Ferrari might not be as competitive in Nevada as they were last year.
With three races to go, F1 heads to Las Vegas, where Charles Leclerc and Ferrari hope for a strong result to stay in contention for the constructors’ championship. The Ferrari driver is confident about putting pressure on McLaren in Nevada.
Last year, the Las Vegas GP was controversial for Leclerc and Ferrari. The Monegasque finished 2nd behind the unstoppable Max Verstappen. Despite a remarkable pole position, Charles Leclerc had to concede to the Dutchman and his Red Bull, who were in a league of their own last year. While Charles celebrated on the podium, Carlos Sainz was forced to make a comeback from mid-grid, penalized by a power unit change after hitting a loose manhole cover during FP1. Nonetheless, the Spaniard finished 6th, adding valuable points for Ferrari.
This year, however, the stakes are much higher for Ferrari. With three races remaining, the Maranello team trails McLaren by only 36 points in the constructors’ championship standings.
The Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi races will be pivotal for the Scuderia’s season. Throughout the year, Ferrari has shown that it has, at least partially, closed the gap with other teams and appears ready to make its mark.
Ferrari has been waiting 16 years for a title, with their last one dating back to 2008. Such a prolonged wait has only happened once before at Maranello, when Ferrari went title-less from 1983 to 1999. The goal of avoiding another disappointing record places significant pressure on the Scuderia. Since 2023, Ferrari has made notable improvements in tire management. Ironically, at last year's Las Vegas race, Ferrari gained an unexpected advantage due to this very challenge. Their struggle to cool the tires actually worked in their favor in the desert's low temperatures, maximizing track conditions.
For this year's Las Vegas GP, Charles Leclerc anticipates facing more difficulties. Nonetheless, the general outlook remains positive following Ferrari’s strong recent performances.
“I think, on paper, this is a track where we should do well,” Charles Leclerc explained. “However, we've improved a lot in tire management, which means that on such a cold track, it will be hard to bring the tires up to temperature. On paper, it still looks positive. Maybe not as positive as last year, but given how tight the championship is, I believe we'll have a chance to win.”
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