Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc believes that Red Bull’s performance at the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix will show how big of a threat they are to the championship.
Red Bull has been underperforming in the 2024 season and has not won a race for eight rounds.
Additionally, they have lost their lead in the Constructors’ Championship to McLaren. While Red Bull is searching for answers to their balance issues, Ferrari has resurged since the summer break.
Leclerc finished on the podium at Zandvoort, won in Monza, and placed second in Baku. He could have continued his podium streak in Singapore GP if not for a poor qualifying session.
Instead, Max Verstappen finished as the best of the rest at Marina Bay Circuit, sandwiched between two McLarens.
Leclerc hinted that the upcoming race in Austin will show whether Red Bull’s Singapore performance was a flash in the pan or a sign that they are ready to fight for both championships in the remaining six races.
Speaking to the press after the Singapore GP, Leclerc said, “It depends on their next race.”
“They have been a bit up and down in the last few races, but it is also true that the last few races have been a bit more specific in terms of car characteristics,” he said.
Red Bull has 475 points in the Constructors’ standings, 34 points ahead of Ferrari and 41 points behind McLaren.
In the Drivers’ Championship, Verstappen leads with 331 points with six races remaining. Lando Norris is in second with 279 points, while Leclerc is third, 34 points behind Norris.
The Monegasque driver said, “I have never ruled Red Bull out, and I am sure they will be strong until the end of the season.”
Charles Leclerc and Ferrari “did not expect” to be in the championship fight with McLaren and Red Bull.
Ferrari and Leclerc’s championship claim strengthened with their improved performances in recent races, but the team faced struggles during the summer.
An update package introduced at the Spanish GP in June triggered bouncing in the Ferrari SF24, and the team wasted several races trying to fix the issue.
As a result, Leclerc stated, “Two, three races ago, Ferrari definitely did not expect to be this close in the championship fight.”
“At the start of the season, I think we all thought after the first two or three races that Red Bull would easily take the championship like they did last year.”
“Then McLaren came and managed to take a big step forward, and we, as a team, spent most of our season outside of three races after Canada trying to find our way again, struggling a lot.”
“But aside from that, even though we didn’t have the fastest car, I think we always maximized our results, and this helped us not lose too many points to our rivals.”
“So we just need to keep doing what we’re doing, and hopefully, our consistency will pay off by the end of the year.”
