Ferrari eyes long-awaited F1 title as Charles Leclerc evaluates team's prospects in final races

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Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc has identified the Qatar Grand Prix as the toughest test remaining for the Maranello team in the final part of this year's Formula 1 season. With the Italian side chasing its first championship title in 16 years, the team currently trails the constructors’ standings leader by 36 points, making every race a critical opportunity to close the gap.

Set to take place at the Losail International Circuit, which hosts its third F1 race this year, the Qatar Grand Prix is the penultimate round of the season and will feature the sprint format for the last time in 2024. Despite Ferrari’s recent progress, Charles Leclerc anticipates that the circuit's unique characteristics will pose significant challenges for the Maranello outfit, putting their title ambitions to the ultimate test: "I think Qatar on paper is probably the most difficult weekend for us in the remaining ones," – the Monegasque driver replied when asked to assess Ferrari’s chances in the remaining three rounds.

Although Charles Leclerc views the Qatar Grand Prix as a significant hurdle for Ferrari, the 27-year-old driver has expressed optimism about the team’s prospects in the following round in Las Vegas. The Monegasque sees the high-profile race on the neon-lit streets of Sin City as a prime opportunity for Ferrari to showcase its strengths and capitalize on the unique characteristics of the circuit: "I think Las Vegas should be a really good one for us and Abu Dhabi neutral."

Despite the intense competition at the front of the Formula 1 grid, Charles Leclerc emphasized that even minor improvements can have a significant impact on achieving success over the course of a race weekend. With performance gaps between teams and drivers so narrow, Charles Leclerc stressed the importance of fine-tuning every aspect of the car and strategy, highlighting how small gains could be the deciding factor in securing a strong result: "All in all, I come back to the point before that we really have to focus step by step. It's very fine details and sometimes this can make a big difference." – the Ferrari man concluded.

As Ferrari continues its battle near the top of the standings, it finds itself locked in a tight contest with McLaren, sitting just behind them in the rankings. Meanwhile, Red Bull remains firmly in the mix, trailing Ferrari by a slim 13-point margin in the fight for third place, keeping the competition for key championship positions intense as the season nears its conclusion.

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