Forget the constructors' standings. Charles Leclerc has made it crystal clear that holding onto second place in the Teams' Championship is not what keeps him awake at night.
Right now, the Scuderia sit a comfortable 105 points ahead of McLaren. But with Red Bull charging hard and closing the gap on the top three, that fight for second could easily run right down to the wire. Leclerc, however, is not losing sleep over the arithmetic.
Instead, the focus is entirely on a machine capable of winning. The team's last taste of victory came back in July when Leclerc took top honors at the British Grand Prix, a drought the Monegasque is desperate to break.
"Honestly, the most important thing for us is to focus race by race and try to get as many wins as possible from now until the end of the season, which eventually, as a result, will give us second place in the Constructors' Championship," Leclerc explained. He added that while second is better than third, it offers no massive satisfaction compared to standing on the top step.
That hunger for the top step makes total sense when you look at their recent form. Ferrari fought at the sharp end in recent rounds, securing a double podium in the Singapore Sprint before Leclerc's challenge against Max Verstappen ultimately faded during the Grand Prix itself. While Isack Hadjar claimed that made them the fastest team at Marina Bay, Leclerc politely brushed the praise aside ahead of the United States Grand Prix.
"I don’t agree, but to each their own opinion," Leclerc said, noting it is a pointless discussion since we will never truly know. Still, the underlying pace is there, even if Red Bull has grabbed the momentum with a step up in recent races.
Looking down the pit lane, the battle is only intensifying. Leclerc anticipates that Mercedes will eventually unlock their new upgrades and return to form, while also acknowledging that McLaren has brought a significant package to the weekend. With the field running so closely together, everything hinges on small details and execution.
Ultimately, securing actual victories before the year is out serves a dual purpose for Ferrari: instant glory and a vital springboard to start next year on a high.
