Charles Leclerc is still confident in Ferrari’s chances of winning the F1 drivers title. The 24-year-old currently trails championship leader Max Verstappen by 80 points, largely due to mechanical failures and the occasional driver error.
Emotionally drained by his inconsistent campaign so far, the Ferrari star was thankful for the summer break but is back refreshed and ready to push his Red bull rival as hard as possible between now and the end of the season.
"I needed it," Leclerc said of the summer break. "The first half of the season has been full of highs and lows, so loads of emotions. There’s lots of accumulation of emotions, which leads to being tired.
"So, I was quite happy to go on holidays and I used these three weeks as best as possible with my family and friends. It was just great.” After missing golden opportunities to claim points in the first half of the this season, Leclerc says Ferrari must “maximise every opportunity” that comes its way now.
"Well, I think we will take it one by one, as a team,” he added. "But for sure we have to maximise every opportunity that we have ahead, and I still believe in the championship. Of course, it’s going to be a very difficult challenge. But I will believe in it until the very end."
When asked if either Ferrari or Red Bull was stronger heading into the Belgian GP weekend, Leclerc thinks it will come down to more than just who has a superior car. “It’s whoever puts the perfect weekend together, because between Red Bull and ourselves there is very little,” he added.
“Maybe sometimes we are a tiny bit stronger, sometimes they are a tiny bit stronger, now there is also Mercedes that are coming into the fight which is nice. But in the end, the one who wins just puts a great weekend together, so that is where we’ll find the difference between the two teams I think.”
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of Leclerc's first GP win back in 2019, which he dedicated to his friend and former driver Anthoine Hubert who died in a tragic high-speed accident the day before. "This one is for Anthoine," said an emotional Leclerc on the radio. "It feels good but it is difficult to enjoy a weekend like this."
He added: "On one hand I have realised a dream, but on the other hand it has been a difficult weekend. I have lost a friend, so I would like to dedicate my win to him. We have grown up together. It is a shame what happened yesterday, so I cannot enjoy my first victory." The Monaco native is in desperate need of another F1 win and it could not come at a better circuit than where he won his very first race.
