Charles Leclerc warns Ferrari's Yas Marina curse could doom 2024 F1 title bid
12/05/2024 04:56 PM
Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc has highlighted how the Maranello team’s dismal track record at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix could shatter the Scuderia's chances of clinching the 2024 F1 constructors' championship.
Arriving at Yas Marina, Ferrari trails McLaren by 21 points in the standings. To snatch the title, the Italian team must win the race and outscore McLaren by those 21 points, relying on a countback advantage due to its six grand prix victories compared to McLaren’s five. Should Ferrari fall short of a win, it would need to outscore McLaren by 22 points to deny the British outfit its first constructors’ title since 1998.
Victory for either team would mark the end of a lengthy drought, as neither Ferrari nor McLaren has secured a world championship since 2008, when Ferrari claimed the constructors’ crown and McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton won the drivers’ title.
Yet history is not on Ferrari’s side. Over the 15 previous editions of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Maranello team has failed to secure a single pole position or race win. The event has been dominated by Red Bull and Mercedes, with exceptions in 2011 and 2012 when McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Lotus's Kimi Räikkönen triumphed.
Previewing the decisive weekend, Charles Leclerc emphasized that Ferrari must deliver a flawless performance to overcome McLaren and prevent them from claiming a ninth Formula 1 constructors’ title.
“On our side, we need to do everything perfect, that’s for sure,” the Monegasque driver said during the Thursday press conference at the 5.281-kilometre Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island – “And by doing everything perfect, I really mean it. I think we need to finish first and second this weekend, and we need things to not go exactly the way they want at McLaren because on paper, they will be strong on this track as well. It’s also true that we’ve never won here in Abu Dhabi, so there’s quite a lot of work, but it’s not impossible.” – he pointed out/
“I think we’ve had the right approach in the last few races, and we’ve taken some points even on weekends where we did not expect to do so. On this weekend, we’re a bit more neutral, and we think that is going to be a positive weekend for us, I really hope that is the case, and that we can take that opportunity in order to win that championship, but it is a stretch.” – the Ferrari man concluded.
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