After the finish of the US Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc admitted that Ferrari was hampered by the difficulties associated with the increased degradation of rubber, yet the race on the track in Austin gave him pleasure.
Q: You started 12th but finished third. Your race was eventful – did you enjoy it?
Charles Leclerc: Yes, I liked the first one. In the very first laps it was important to be patient. I had a good start, but exiting Turn 1 I was in a bad place and lost almost everything I gained back. And then he tried to act patiently and saved the rubber to attack in the later stages of the Grand Prix. That’s exactly what I did, and everything turned out fine.
We were lucky that the safety car came out at the right time for us and we had the chance to compete at the front. Unfortunately we had problems with the increased degradation of rubber and we were unable to qualify for higher positions. But still it is necessary to establish a certain progress, although we must move forward gradually and step by step.
Q: What were your expectations for the US Grand Prix?
Charles Leclerc: I was confident that I could fight for the podium if we did everything right. Looking back, I think we also chose the right tactics. In terms of working with rubber, we still have to improve, but we are moving in the right direction.
Q: Tell me about the battle with Max Verstappen because we saw how great you counterattacked him after the 1st corner. Through the years of fighting on the racetracks, you have studied each other perfectly and you can almost accurately predict how he will perform…
Charles Leclerc: I think the task that lay before each of us was just this: to surprise the adversary. This is part of the game. And while it’s impossible to really predict his actions, it was fun, especially in the 1st turn.
Between turns 11 and 12 it wasn’t that much fun anymore because I just saw Max pass me on the left. All I could do was wave to him, that’s all. And then I had another duel, this time with Sergio Perez and also for the 12th inning. I knew I could take more serious risks as we are competing for 2nd place in the championship. Overall the whole race was fun.
Q: When we talk about Max’s dominance this season, how would you rate it? Is the “Verstappen era” starting or do you think there is still an opportunity to overtake him next year?
Charles Leclerc: I hope such an era does not begin. Personally, I will do everything I can to prevent this, and of course our entire team is working to prevent this. I think it is clear that we need to make improvements. In one fast lap we are very fast and here we are on the same level as Red Bull. But at the distance of the race we get problems with the tires.
That’s why we’re doing everything we can to address this and I hope there will be results next year. If we remember this season, we should not only talk about the degradation of rubber, but we also made mistakes, chose the wrong tactics, there were difficulties due to misunderstandings, etc. That is why we try to get the most out of the remaining races of the season in preparation for next year when we plan to fight Max and Red Bull.
But I’m sure we can do it because I know how hard the team is working and I have no doubt that everything is going in the right direction.
Q: What can you say about the US fans and how you are received in the US? After all, a record number of fans gathered in the stands of Austin’s car dream again, despite the fact that the champion had already been determined …
Charles Leclerc: I see incredible progress compared to 2018 when I first visited this track. The popularity of Formula 1 in the US has grown tremendously, there are many more fans, including on the streets of Austin, where sometimes it’s just not overcrowded! But this is a good sign.
Moreover, in America they know how to turn sports competitions into shows, here it is a special culture. In my opinion, this is what is happening now with Formula 1, and the difficulty is how, by adding a show element to the races, the nature of our sport is preserved. But I think it works very well. And I’m already looking forward to the Las Vegas Grand Prix – I want to see what’s going to happen there. It might be very interesting.
Q: Ferrari already has an army of fans in America – can you feel it, speaking in the US Grand Prix?
Charles Leclerc: Yes, I know and I am very happy to drive for Ferrari, but we have to keep working hard. It’s great that there are so many people in red in the stands – let’s hope we can please our fans with a win next year.
Q: Less than a week before the Mexican Grand Prix. Are you planning to introduce technical innovations that can add speed?
Charles Leclerc: No, we don’t intend to, but we will try to maximize the potential of our car.
Source: F1 News
I’m Todderic Kirkman, a journalist and author for athletistic. I specialize in covering all news related to sports, ranging from basketball to football and everything in between. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, I have become an invaluable asset to my team. My ambition is to bring the most up-to-date information on sports topics around the world.
