Charles Leclerc reveals Ferrari breakthrough behind US GP podium

Charles Leclerc feels he has “unlocked something” with his Ferrari in recent Formula 1 races that helped him secure a podium at the United States Grand Prix. 

The Monegasque had a strong race in Austin as he charged to runner-up spot behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli on a two-stop strategy, having caught and passed Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the closing stages. 

Leclerc revealed after the race that he has recently made a breakthrough with how best to set up and drive his Ferrari, which was upgraded in the United States. 

“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 after finishing second. 

“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. 

“Just both together, we've taken a step forward, and I just feel much more comfortable with the car. 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.” 

It proved to be a frustrating weekend for Ferrari. 

The Italian outfit looked the team to beat in qualifying after setting the pace in all three practice session, but Ferrari’s performance faded when it mattered, leaving Leclerc and team-mate Lewis Hamilton fourth and fifth on the grid. 

Once again, Leclerc was left rueing Ferrari’s execution after demonstrating impressive pace on Sunday. 

“I mean, if you look at FP1, FP2 and FP3, we were very strong,” he explained. 

“If you look at qualifying, at the end of the day in Q3, it was extremely difficult to bring the tyres up to temperature, and we probably lost a shot at the victory there. 

"But today Kimi was very strong, so, yeah, as a whole weekend, I think we're just not robust enough.”

Leclerc added: “I kept asking my engineer what the pace of Kimi was, but I was probably a bit too optimistic. 

"I still wanted to give it a shot, but, yeah, I probably lost a bit too much time with Max and Lando. Even with free air, I don't think I would have got to Kimi. He was just too quick today.”

The result leaves Leclerc fifth in the drivers’ standings but he remains in the fight for second place. He is just nine points behind George Russell, who currently occupies P2.