Leclerc looks back on "a great day for us" after almost taking P2 from Bottas
F1 News
- Nicolás Quarles van Ufford
Ferrari star Charles Leclerc couldn't manage to upset either of the two Mercedes cars in front of him despite a late surge, but the Monegasque looks back on "a great day" for his team in terms of performance.
The 21-year-old wasn't quick enough off the line to have a real run on either Valtteri Bottas or Lewis Hamilton in second and first respectively, and he then had to defend from cars behind him.
However, as the race progressed to the final stages, he started to gain a lot of time on Bottas in P2, as the one-time pole-sitter came within DRS range on the penultimate lap.
He made a late move in the very final corner of the Grand Prix, but he couldn't make it stick and settled for P3 behind the Finn. Still, he looks back on a good race from his own point of view.
"I gave it everything, I felt OK with the car but the Mercedes were too quick early on," he told Martin Brundle on the grid after getting out of his car.
"The first run was quite OK, and on the second run I was about tyre management and towards the end I was catching Valtteri.
"But there was not enough laps for me to try something. But where we were on Friday, today is a great day for us. In the last two laps I was catching quite quickly."
Leclerc's teammate Sebastian Vettel only managed to finish P5 but also got the extra point for the fastest lap.