Charles Leclerc believes that Ferrari has what it takes to overhaul McLaren‘s advantage in the race for the 2024 Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship.
Leclerc was speaking to select media including Motorsport Week ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the first leg of a triple-header to close out the 2024 F1 campaign.
With 86 points up for grabs across the final three rounds of 2024, Ferrari trails McLaren by 36 points in the Constructors’ standings.
That makes it a tall order for Ferrari to clinch its first Constructors’ Championship since 2008, but Leclerc said that is precisely the goal.
“Yeah, I think the feeling is [to win the Constructors’],” Leclerc said.
“But more than the feeling, I think the target is to beat McLaren and we really think that we have a shot at it this year.
“We’ve been particularly strong in the last three races. But we are also aware that we cannot rely on the good results of the last three races.
“We’ve got to focus step by step.
“The mentality is super important in those times and not let yourself be carried away with the positive environment we are in at the moment.
“That’s what we are trying to do, to try and put everything together, to first of all focus on this race and try to maximise everything.
“There are still lots of points to grab this weekend, but in Qatar there will be a sprint weekend as well, so quite a lot of points.
“So we’ve just got to stay on it and stay focused until the end.”
Renewed ‘mindset’ making Ferrari stronger according to Charles Leclerc
Ferrari’s season has seen it dig itself out of a mid-season development hole to win three out of the last five races before F1 landed in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Scuderia’s Constructors’ title challenge, according to Leclerc, is a consequence of a renewed mindset within the team.
“I think the mindset is a big part of why we are much stronger as a team now,” Leclerc said.
“In Formula 1, and especially around Ferrari, there are always rumours, there are always things that are being said.
“There’s obviously a very deep analysis on why we are not performing at this race or why we are really good at this race.
“And all this outside noise in the past used to affect us a little bit and in the way we worked.”
Leclerc added that since Team Principal Fred Vasseur joined Ferrari, “there’s been a big step forward” with how the team deals with external pressures.
“I think that helped the whole team to work better, to work in a more disciplined way without being affected by the outside perception, which is very, very important,” Leclerc claimed.
“So that was a big step forward.”
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