That said, Charles Leclerc is walking away from the Circuit of the Americas with his head held high, according to Crash.net. Securing a second-place finish at the United States Grand Prix marked back-to-back podiums for the Monegasque driver, following his runner-up result the previous week at the Singapore Grand Prix. It is his first consecutive trip to the rostrum since the British and Belgian Grands Prix, and it comes right on the heels of new upgrades brought by Ferrari to Austin.
Now, as Crash.net reports, further developments are slated to land this weekend at the Mexican Grand Prix. The weekend in Austin began with genuine pace from the red cars, with Leclerc dominating the timesheets by topping both Free Practice 1 and Free Practice 2, before Lewis Hamilton took over the top spot in Free Practice 3 on Saturday. Unfortunately, that speed didn't translate cleanly when it mattered most in qualifying. The Ferraris could only salvage fourth and fifth on the grid.
So I hope that this will result in a win soon. Whether it’s in Singapore or here in Austin, we were quite close, so I’m confident that we’ll have a shot to win a race before the end of the season,
Saturday afternoon in Q3 proved to be the stumbling block, as tyre temperatures proved agonizingly difficult to bring up. Leclerc admitted that this exact issue cost them the chance to properly challenge Kimi Antonelli for the victory. Yet the race itself told a different story, and the grand prix finish brought the machine right back to where it needed to be.
Leclerc now believes the squad has the tools to break their winless streak, which stretches back to a victory in July at the British Grand Prix. “Whether I can convert that into a win is a bit difficult to predict, because it’s such fine margins, and it also depends on what the upgrade plans of the others are in upcoming races,” Leclerc said.
There is a real sense that things are clicking into place behind the wheel. “But the feeling with the car is getting better and better. These cars are very specific and unique, and I feel like, over the last two or three races, I’ve unlocked something again in terms of driving, and particularly set-up with my driving,” he explained. “Just both together, we’ve taken a step forward, and I just feel much more comfortable with the car.”
Thankfully, that comfort translates directly into ambition for the remaining rounds. “So I hope that this will result in a win soon. Whether it’s in Singapore or here in Austin, we were quite close, so I’m confident that we’ll have a shot to win a race before the end of the season,” Leclerc added.
