Credits: IMAGO / Motorsport Images

The Japanese Grand Prix was another strong race for Ferrari, as the team secured a 3-4 finish in Sunday’s race. Charles Leclerc put in a strong performance, clinching P4 after starting the race in P8 behind Lewis Hamilton. While the Monegasque driver was happy with the race result, his overall performance did not impress him much. Speaking to the media after the race, Leclerc expressed his disappointment in himself, acting as his own harshest critic.

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“I’m happy about that, but if we look at entire weekend… If I’m happy with a 4th place then I should stay at home.” – claimed Leclerc.

The last two races of the season have seen Carlos Sainz outperform Leclerc with relative ease. The case was the same in Bahrain, where Ferrari secured another 3-4 finish. While this has led to Ferrari securing a lot of points, the stat might not sit well with Leclerc.

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Often poised to be the next Ferrari driver to win the world championship, the stat would certainly be bugging Leclerc. He would be hoping to turn the tide around so the Tifosi and Ferrari don’t lose their faith in him.

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Leclerc was almost at his best in Sunday’s race in Suzuka. The 26-year-old exhibited excellent tire management skills, which allowed him to maximize performance in each stint. Notably, Leclerc was the only driver to do a [effective] one-stop race in Japan out of the top finishers. It was crucial to help him climb through the ranks and clinch a P4 finish. Owing to the same, fans also voted the Ferrari driver as the Driver of the Day.

Ferrari close in on Red Bull as Charles Leclerc hopes to pick up a few wins

So far, Ferrari stands as the best performer after Red Bull this season. Under Fred Vasseur, the Maranello-based outfit has done a great job of improving their overall performance, much to the delight of the Tifosi. They have been on the podium in each race this season, something that even Red Bull has not done, courtesy of the race in Australia.

Sainz won the race, while Leclerc finished in P2, followed by Lando Norris. Given the same, Leclerc would be hoping to continue improving and win a few races while securing consistent podiums.

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Thus far, Leclerc has had two podium finishes this season. The first podium came in Saudi Arabia in the form of a P3 finish amid Sainz’s absence. Meanwhile, Leclerc secured his second podium of 2024 in the following race in Australia.

At present, Leclerc sits in P3 with 59 points to his name. He is 5 points adrift of P2-placed Sergio Perez and 18 points behind championship leader Max Verstappen. Carlos Sainz, meanwhile, is breathing down Leclerc’s neck, as he is in P5, a mere 4 points behind his teammate.