Leclerc: I was unlucky with the safety car

In Las Vegas, Charles Leclerc started from pole for the fifth time this season, but the race victory once again went to Max Verstappen. The Ferrari driver could have finished third, but made a successful attack on Sergio Perez on the final lap in the battle for second place.

Carlos Sainz, Charles’ teammate, lost ten places on the grid due to a penalty, starting twelfth, but came back to earn points for sixth.

Charles Leclerc (2nd): “What a race! I really enjoyed it, although I am disappointed that I only came second, I did my best.

At the start in the first corner, Max did not have enough grip on the asphalt and he pushed me off the track. However, my pace was high and I was able to catch up later. Overall we were fast and had a good race.

I was unlucky with the safety car. I didn’t go to the pits because we didn’t know how the others would behave. We decided to stay on track and keep first place. After that it was difficult to maintain the position on the old tires, but we had to fight hard for second place. To be honest, I liked it.”

Carlos Sainz (6th): “The first lap turned out to be very difficult on cold tires – there was no grip on the asphalt on the inner section, but I was able to avoid serious problems. I’m happy to be in sixth place after dropping to almost last place. In this race we kept losses to a minimum, but at the same time it is a pity that we could not fight for the victory because the speed of the car allowed it.

I’m looking forward to the next stage in Abu Dhabi. We want to stay ahead of Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship and end the season with a strong result. I hope we can fight for the podium – that’s goal number one. It won’t be easy, but I believe we have everything it takes to achieve this result.”