Charles Leclerc says it “hurts” Ferrari failed of their bid to win the F1 constructors’ world championship within the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Ferrari got here into Sunday’s finale understanding that they had a mountain to climb to overtake their 21-point deficit to McLaren after Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri had locked out the entrance row, whereas Carlos Sainz and Leclerc began third and nineteenth respectively.
However when Piastri was despatched spinning to the again of the sector after a first-corner collision with Pink Bull’s Max Verstappen – which promoted Sainz into P2 – and Leclerc made big positive factors with an unbelievable opening lap, their title prospects out of the blue seemed brighter.
Sainz couldn’t problem Norris for the win and needed to settle with second, whereas Leclerc turned in a shocking struggle again to finish the rostrum in third place. Nonetheless it was not sufficient as Ferrari misplaced out on the title by 14 factors to McLaren.
“I knew I needed to be very aggressive,” Leclerc stated. “So I knew that in lap one, I needed to take all of the dangers doable with the intention to acquire as many locations as doable, to then be in a very good place for the remainder of the race.
“However then, sadly, we had been simply beginning too far again to do something higher than what we have accomplished at the moment. I feel we have accomplished the utmost.
“It hurts, clearly, as a result of the season was so shut till the top. It was a tough hit on Friday once we knew we had the penalty. We nonetheless gave all of it and we simply got here in need of our objective, which is a disgrace. However on the finish, we have tried the whole lot.”
Sainz, who’s leaving Ferrari and becoming a member of Williams for 2025, echoed Leclerc’s evaluation, admitting it’s a “bittersweet” feeling to narrowly miss out on the championship.
“Clearly, a little bit of a bittersweet feeling ultimately. P2 I feel was the utmost we may do at the moment, given the tempo of Lando within the McLaren,” the Spaniard stated.
“I gave it the whole lot, particularly the primary stint. It seemed like we may hold on to them. Then as quickly as we put the laborious tyres, they simply gave the impression to be that one or two tenths faster per lap, like we have seen all weekend. And so they simply acquired a bit out of attain.
“However congratulations, to start with, to McLaren. They deserve this championship. They’ve been rock stable within the final two-thirds of the championship, and so they’ve been unbelievable.
“From our facet, I feel we may be pleased with the trouble and the championship we put collectively. It has been a tricky 12 months, however positively a 12 months the place we have to be pleased with.”
Vasseur pissed off however proud
Ferrari group principal Frederic Vaster admitted it was irritating to get so near delivering a title again to Maranello and ending the Italian outfit’s 16-year await main F1 silverware.
“ one, however not sufficient,” Vasseur summarised. “I feel that in case you evaluate with one 12 months in the past, it’s an enormous step ahead.
“Each single KPI, the whole lot is nice, and we did a very good one by way of pit stops technique, reliability, we improved in every single place, even by way of pure efficiency.
“It’s true that on the finish, 14 factors are lacking, and I feel in case you are 80 or 100 factors behind, you don’t really feel the frustration. !4 factors that you’ve got, or at the least tonight, I had tons of races in my thoughts, the place we misplaced 14 factors this season.
“However it’s like it’s. McLaren additionally had some points, and now we have to do a greater job subsequent 12 months, however I’m additionally fairly pleased with the step that we did.”
