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Charles Leclerc wants Ferrari to step up in their pursuit of developing their car after his P2 finish at the 2022 F1 Miami GP.
The 24-year-old was unable to convert his pole position into a win after Max Verstappen breezed past him on lap 9 at the Miami International Autodrome.
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A safety car following the crash of Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris on lap 41 brought the field back together late on. Despite coming close, Leclerc was unable to get past Verstappen but not for the want of trying.
When asked to share his thoughts on the race in parc fermé by Willy T. Ribbs for Sky Sports F1, the Monegasque driver said:
“It was a very difficult race physically. We struggled quite a bit on the medium tires in the first stint and got overtaken. It made our race a bit more difficult from that moment onwards.”
Charles Leclerc was envious of the pace advantage Max Verstappen enjoyed on the day. The Red Bull RB18 had a sizeable advantage over the Ferrari F1-75 in the straights. He went on to add, saying:
“On the hard [tires], we were very competitive, and towards the end I thought I could get Max [Verstappen] at one point but today they had the advantage in terms of pace. We need to keep pushing. Upgrades will be important and I hope now we can do a step up from the next race onwards. It has been an exciting beginning to the season and that’s what we like to see.”
The result means Leclerc still leads the World Drivers' Championship standings with 104 points as F1 returns to Europe for the Spanish GP. Verstappen is hot on his heels in P2 with 85 points.
"He is capable of fighting for the championship" - Mattia Binotto backs Charles Leclerc to shine in 2022
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto feels Charles Leclerc has what it takes to fight for the 2022 World Drivers' Championship.
Following the Monegasque driver's second win of the season at the 2022 F1 Australian GP, Binotto came out in full support of his driver, saying:
“I think he is demonstrating he is capable of fighting for the championship so no doubt he has got the talent, he has got the capacity. He is a very good racer and very happy with what he is proving in two races.”
Leclerc and Ferrari will now set their sights on the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona. Having had years of data from the venue, this could see the Scuderia stables churn out some key upgrades for the race weekend.
